Why Your Vet Won’t Talk to You About CBD

Hello everyone this is Krista with episode number 124 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. Did you know that dogs that eat kibble are in a chronic state of dehydration, which contributes to problems such as kidney disease or the formation of bladder stones? So vegetables are an excellent source of water, and veggies like cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli, or even brussels sprouts are over 85% water. But just remember when feeding vegetables to your dog, you can feed raw or even frozen veggies, but you'll need to make them digestible for your dog. So you can either crush or pulverize them in a juicer or a blender, or it helps to lightly steam them as well.

Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition and overall well being. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.

Hernando Umana earned a professional certification in Medical Cannabis biology and the therapeutic uses from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He serves on the board for Fire Flake Farm, a rescue for neglected animals, where he has helped hundreds of animals using cannabis medicine. Co-owner of CBD DOG Health, Father of a 10 year old shitzu, Blanche and a 5 year old chihuahua mix, Linda!

Welcome all dog lovers to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. I want to thank all of our listeners who want to be the best advocates for your dog's health and wellness. And today, I am joined by Hernando Umana, who is going to share why your vet won't talk to you about CBD. Hernando thank you so much for being with us today. Why don't you introduce yourself and tell us about your passion for dogs and your journey in becoming a cannabis expert.

Awesome. Thanks for having me. My name is Hernando Umana. I'm a co owner of a company called CBD Dog Health. I'm always hesitant to say that and call it like this because I never want people to think that I'm here to talk about my brand. Because that's not what I'm here to do. I'm a cannabis educator first. I'm an animal lover first. And I support any company who is doing the right thing to help animals. In my history of what I'm doing right now. I graduated from the University of Vermont's Medical Cannabis Program. I work with Angela Ardolino, my partner with her rescue farm called Fire Flake Farm where we've helped hundreds and about 1000s now animals, chickens, dogs, geese, pigs, everything you can imagine, with every kind of cannabis medicine possible. I travel and work with veterinarians all over the country. And this is this is what I do now I get to watch dogs go from having multiple seizures a week to none and dogs who can barely walk start to run and some pretty incredible things that I that I love to do. Cannabis saved my life personally, and saved my dog's life. And I couldn't be happier, more proud to be part of it.

What a great story. Well, Hernando, we all know that as pet owners, you know, we've been frustrated at our vets lack of interest or experience on the topic of CBD. And it seems like everyone is talking about CBD these days except our conventional veterinarians. So because it seems to be such a taboo topic for most conventional vets. Why do you think that is?

Lack of education. Number one. Veterinarians are not taught about a lot of things including nutrition, but they're not taught about cannabis medicine. They're not taught about the endocannabinoid system, which is a system that we all have that’s a massive regulatory system and oversees every system in our body. So why we're not being taught about that. I don't know. And, you know, they're all taught to put a bandaid on the problems instead of looking for what's actually causing the problem. And that's what cannabis medicine does. You know, it's not this one compound pharmaceutical that's going to fix everything up right away. And so they're not being taught about it. And that's, that's what it comes down to number one, because if they could see the research we did have and see something as basic as the endocannabinoid system. I think there’d be a lot more questions as to why are we being taught about this.

Right. Now, aren't there legal ramifications as well? Because I think still the American Veterinary Medical Association says that under current federal and state law that veterinarians may not administer, dispense, prescribe or recommend cannabis on any animals. Are laws changing?

Oh yeah, laws are changing every single day, state by state. So before we get into that, let's talk about the difference between hemp and marijuana because that's really important in this discussion. Marijuana products are still are still on schedule one of the Controlled Substances Act so anything above .3% THC in a cannabis product is considered marijuana and THC is that psychoactive effect. It's not dangerous to dogs or to us at all proven in research. But for legality sake over .3% THC is considered marijuana products and anything under .3% THC is considered a hemp product. Now hemp products have been made federally legal in 2018 by the United States Farm Bill and through there we should be very comfortable knowing that veterinarians can discuss and recommend and even distribute hemp based products. When it comes to marijuana based products. That's where things get tricky and difficult in neither realm hemp or marijuana that cannot administer, treat or prescribe using cannabis medicine. But when it comes to marijuana based medicine, most states in this country now have medical marijuana programs for human use. Unfortunately, none of those programs include animals or veterinarians. New York actually just passed a recreational medical marijuana bill and they are still in the early, early process of figuring out all the legality, but it's the first time that veterinarians were listed as providers of healthcare. So there's a possibility that in New York, veterinarians will be able to maybe even recommend marijuana based products. But other than that California and Michigan are the only two states who have come out and said that veterinarians are allowed to simply discuss marijuana based products. But no states have said that they can recommend it or use it in any way, which is ridiculous, but it's what we have right now.

Well, hopefully things will change quickly. So I guess the main roadblock to widespread regulation is the limited research into the effects of CBD to treat dogs. So I think that's why the FDA hasn't approved CBD for use in dogs. But I know you and I also did an interview with Angela that studies are coming out. So there is scientific evidence behind this right?

There is. CBD itself… There is an isolated version of CBD that has been approved by the FDA for epilepsy and seizures called epidiolex. That one is not intended to be used on animals, but veterinarians could technically use it as an off label medicine. But as far as CBD and the FDA goes is that we need to remember that FDA only controls food and drugs. CBD right now is not either of those things. Because it's not generally recognized as safe or GRAS, we cannot put it in animal feed. It's not a drug. So it's not there to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent anything. So normally that would fall under a supplement where vitamins and other health care products would go to. Unfortunately, in the act of 1994, where they start to regulate supplements under the FDA, they specifically left out animals. they said this year is to oversee all supplements except for animal supplements. So animal supplements have no government, anything, no one is looking to see if the product is safe or effective, which is a very, very big problem. So right now CBD for pets has no category. All we know is that it's legal.

Well, we are talking about conventional vets but you and I both know that holistic and integrative veterinarians already recommend CBD to their patients, which is fantastic. So I've also heard that these conventional vets you know they use CBD on their own pets. So it seems that they're slowly coming out of the woodwork and are being honest about their own use of CBD and the benefits that they are seeing at home. Do you agree?

Oh, yeah. And there are a lot of veterinarians now who sell CBD in their practice or recommend CBD in their practice. And they're getting the results from their, from their patients, and they get to see it every day. So it's they're definitely starting to become believers. You can't not believe it when that dog who could barely walk last week came in and all of a sudden walk.

And do you want to quickly talk about that? You know, a lot of people think, Oh, I have to give my dog or I don't have to, but CBD might be an option for my dog for whether it be epilepsy or, you know, joint issues, arthritis, but shouldn't we and our dogs be taking CBD oil as a preventative?

Absolutely! It's so important, you know, dogs are gonna go through degenerative problems regardless. what we can do is slow those down, especially when it comes to something like arthritis, we're all going to get inflammation in the joints, but we can really slow it down and keep them comfortable and keep that information away, as long as possible. CBD has been proven to be neuro protective. So we know it's gonna protect the brain and help your joints. There's receptors in their gut, that's going to help their gut health help everything because it's part because it works the endocannabinoid system, there's every aspect of your body can benefit from CBD. And as we know, most illnesses, stem from the inflammation of and what CBD really, really, really helps with and we know this from research is reducing inflammation. So really being able to tackle inflammation before it becomes chronic, is incredible. So I always tell pet parents, even if your dog has no issue yet, even if you can get just a little bit of CBD throughout the week and there is maybe a good time to use treats if you don't want to go through a bottle or just give them give them a few times a week just kind of keep the endocannabinoid system flowing and making sure that they are healthy for the long run.

Great point. Well, we are going to take a brief break to hear from our sponsor and we will be right back.

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And we are back with Hernando who is talking about why our veterinarians are not talking about CBD for our dogs. And I kind of get their situation, you know, because as you mentioned, this industry is totally unregulated. So not only are veterinarians wanting to see studies which are coming out, like amazing studies of the effectiveness of CBD for so many health issues, but because it's not regulated, which company, which brand, can you feel is safe because the labeling again is not regulated? Right?

Exactly. Cornell University actually did research last year where they bought 30 pet CBD products on the market. And they did their own lab tests. And out of those 30 only 10 were anywhere near a 10% ratio what they were actually claiming was in the bottle. As far as cannabinoids go. multiple models had pesticides. A lot of them didn't have CBD at all. So yeah, it's completely unregulated. Because it's a very, very big issue.

So Hernando, what do you think? Because, you know, we mentioned that our veterinarians don't have the knowledge because they're not taught in veterinary school. So how are they going to get educated on this? Once, you know, the states, and the regulations open up that they can discuss this with their patients?

You know, first of all, as far as this discussion goes, I always talk to all my vets saying, there is a first amendment right, and you do take an oath to do no harm and take care of the animal. And I think using that First Amendment right to be able to discuss is, to me a no brainer, but you know, as far as getting education, there are so many stories, there’s hundreds of 1000s not millions of stories now being told, every day of the incredible effects of CBD for seizures, for cancer, for arthritis, you know, there was just a new study done on canine cancer cells showing increased apoptosis and stop the spreading of cancer cells, you know, there's just, there's just too much anecdotal evidence out there for them to ignore. And they're going to be forced to, to ask the questions. And what we need, though, is regulation, because what's going to happen? What is happening is that, they say, okay, fine, let's try it. And then they get a product that's ineffective, and it doesn't work. And that's where it starts getting labeled as snake oil. That's when you have a product that works. And you see the difference. So we all know humans, you know, we all have the potential of using cannabis first so many reasons. And that's because the endocannabinoid system, like I said earlier, but dogs have even more receptors in their endocannabinoid system than we do. So they we see the effects that much faster. And that much greater. And the beauty in animals is that there is no placebo effect. You see the difference. It either works or it doesn't. So, you know, there's just gonna be too many pet parents asking the questions, and eventually they're gonna have to be able to answer it.

I agree. Well, the cool thing is, is we mentioned you know, the, these integrative and holistic veterinarians already are recommending CBD oil to their patients. And some heroes in this industry, Dr. Karen Becker. She says when it comes to pain management, there's a significant amount of evidence that supports the use of CBD. And since cannabinoids work differently in the body than narcotics, and also non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs that so many of us give our dogs, they can be used together without the risk of drug interactions. So thank you, Dr. Becker. Dr. McGrath at Colorado State vouches for the safety of CBD for your dog. And she recommends you're also already using a CBD product or are considering one that you try to get a certificate of analysis, which is super important. And that should show you how much THC is in the product. So you should feel good if you do your research, giving certain CBD products that pass the test. And then lastly, Dr. Garry Richter, who's been on the show, he says, while there are some differences in how cannabis affects pets, compared to humans, they can benefit in many of the same ways people do. So it is being used. There are plenty of veterinarians recommending it. So I just wanted to mention that and I guess for now, are you suggesting that we just do our own research?

Yep, you have to unfortunately right now, a few good things to look at when choosing the right CBD product is number one, like you said, is seeing a certificate of analysis. That's showing not only that it has the amount of CBD and THC that it's saying as, especially for veterinarians, because if they are comfortable selling CBD, they want to make sure they don't go over that .3% THC because that's when you get in real trouble. But it also shows you that there's nothing harmful, there's no pesticides, there's no heavy metals or anything. So having that certificate of analysis is very important. We have a video if you want to share with the audience of how to read that certificate of analysis, because if you don't know, it's impossible. But yes, that's important. You want to get a full spectrum product, meaning it has at least below that .3% THC, research has proven over and over again that not only the most effective way for the medicine to work for any of us, but it's incredibly safe. They've even done terrible, awful studies where they tried to kill beagles and chimpanzees with upwards of 9000 milligrams of THC, and they could not do it. There is no lethal dose there's never been a creature on this earth who has ever died of cannabis. Any toxicity things that you hear on the news you can be assured that it was adulterated or is in a brownie or gummy or something else. But full spectrum is very important. And you just want to make sure that it's a potent bottle. There's reasons why there's $30 $20 bottles out there, because if it’s got 100 milligrams in the whole bottle. And that's not going to be effective. You want to make sure that you have at least a 500 milligram bottle or up around nine milligrams per serving, at least.

Well, I think something encouraging that I found out is that the AKC Health Foundation is currently funding a study to hopefully provide the scientific data that is needed to gain legal approval for veterinary use. So I think that's cool. And I can't wait for those results to come out. Because you and I both know, it's gonna be good. So Hernando, how do we start the conversation with our regular conventional vet now?

That's a great question. I first always want to make sure that pet parents never feel the need to hide the fact that they're using CBD. You shouldn't be hiding anything from your vet, if you're using it for your animal, whether they agree or not. Their job is not to tell you how to take care of your animal, they can suggest things, but their job is to take care of the animal no matter what's going on. So please talk to your vet about this so that they know. And it's just an open, honest conversation. You know, you've heard about this. You've heard incredible stories, you found a reputable brand. This is what I'm thinking. And if you are determined to use it, it's not a question of, are you allowing me to? It's a question of, will you help guide and learn with me?

Yep, I agree. And we have to be honest about our goals for you know, why are we using CBD with our dog? I think our vet needs to know that.

Yeah, 100% like I said, before, it's, it's we’re all about finding the root of the problem and fixing it from there and not putting a bandaid on the issue, suppressing the immune system and causing other problems to happen. And, you know, if you're doing your homework, and, you know, because I don't, I don't trust doctors anymore, I don't trust vets, I you know, I will listen and go and do my own research. But there are so many steps you can take to keep your animal healthy. And, you know, food is to me food, nutrition, and CBD. As long as, as long as their gut is, is intact and healthy, and we're keeping inflammation away and protecting the brain. You know, we're in good hands there.

I agree. And I think, to your point, you know, when we're talking about food, or CBD or any other supplements that we are giving our dog, help your vet, you know, keep a journal and track their symptoms and their patterns and, you know, positive and negative that you see, I think that only helps the entire team advocate for your dog's health.

100% and we tell pet parents that when finding the dose, you know, just keep track, see what works and what doesn't work, and adjust accordingly.

Hernando, is there anything that we can do right now to promote any change? Are there any senators or representatives or anybody that we can write to or you know, have a voice?

I mean, there's a lot of states that will be voting for medical or recreational cannabis use in humans. And and there's, there's a way to start for sure. And honestly, right now, we just need to keep talking about it. We need to tell our friends when you have success stories, you tell your friends either write it on social media, keep the story going. There are billions of dollars by the pharmaceutical companies making sure that these messages are suppressed. One Voice after another we will win. So we just need to keep talking. Keep asking questions. Anytime you can vote in your state. you vote for that. And and the rest will come slowly but surely. There is hope.

Well Hernando I am very picky with the products that I recommend. And CBD Dog Health is one of those companies because you guys are full spectrum CBD, you are non GMO. You are holistic and you're offering amazing products in different forms, which I love. You know, you have the tinctures, you have the salves and the treats. And if anybody listening today is curious about CBD, please, please, please check out CBDDogHealth.com.

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Hernando, do you have any last words?

We're here to help. We're here to educate. There are no dumb questions. If you're not getting the answers from your veterinarians that you need. We can always refer you to veterinarians that can answer your questions or at least willing to learn with you. But uh, we all got to stick together, we got to do the work together. And I'm just so proud to be to be here and to be part of this and to be part of this revolution. It's awesome.

I agree. So Hernando, where can everybody find out more information about you and CBD Dog Health?

You could just go to CBDDogHealth.com. You know, I'm a blog contributor there and we're our team. That's all we do. That's how we make a living is by educating so you can find all of us there. Angela, our education director Carter Easler, our veterinarian, Dr. Zac Pilossoph. We're all there and a whole bunch of information for you guys to read.

We appreciate it. And thank you for doing this. And yeah, one vet at a time, right?

Exactly. Exactly. Right.

Thanks, Hernando.

Thank you.

Thanks again to our friends at CBD Dog Health for sponsoring this episode. Check out all of their amazing products like CBD enriched hemp oils for separation anxiety or traveling needs, extra strength cannabinoid formulations specifically made for more serious conditions, like PTSD or pain from cancer salves to treat dry skin for dogs and other ailments, like hotspots and allergies, and all natural pet treats. All of the CBD Dog Health products are made to effectively treat your pet holistically and naturally help your dog thrive by using the code WOL for 20% off at CBDDogHealth.com.

Thanks for listening. You'll find some helpful links in the show notes and if you enjoy the show, please be sure to follow and listen for free on your favorite podcast app. And please, please share your feedback. Visit WagOutLoud.com for great product recommendations with discounts, amazing online events and fantastic resources. That's also where to visit our Bark About It page where you can suggest topics, guests or products. Be advised that this show offers health and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You're encouraged to do your own research and should not rely on this information as a substitute for nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your dog's health, you should always consult a veterinarian or a nutrition expert. Have a tail wagging day and we'll catch you next time.

Hey Winston was that another tail wagging episode?