This article was first published in the Pets issue of Fat Nugs Magazine, published in October 2024.
Truman’s Story
I was pacing my front porch like a big cat stuck behind a fence. My phone was on speaker as I stared at the screen, listening to the joyful pet parent:
“I can’t believe what a difference this has made for him!” Truman’s Mom practically sang a melody. “We really thought we were going to lose him and I just can’t thank you enough!”
My heart swelled, thrilled to hear that my products helped another hound.
Truman was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma. A soccer ball-sized tumor protruded from his spleen, intricately wrapped around blood vessels, and his humans didn’t want to risk a dangerous surgery. Truman was given a prognosis of 2 weeks by his veterinarian, and that’s when his family turned to hemp, specifically, Hippie Hounds 10mg treats.
Months later, Truman’s Mom called me to share that he was 70% back to normal! After starting him on a hemp regimen, he was eating, playing, jumping, and having a quality of life that they didn’t expect to see from him again. I was overjoyed, and I immediately jumped online to share his story.
After spending a decade in the veterinary industry, I went to one of the “vet tech” groups on Facebook. I knew that my colleagues would be just as excited as I was to hear about Truman and what cannabis medicine could do for a cancer diagnosis. I wrote out a long post detailing his prognosis, traditional medications, history, signalment, dosing, cannabinoid profile, etc. I was thrilled, until I read the comments.
“How dare you exploit people and lie to them!!!”
“Cannabis is toxic to dogs.”
“You are an enemy of Veterinary medicine. You’re a liar, and what you’re doing is dangerous.”
As hundreds of comments began to pour in, I felt the oxygen leave my lungs. What? Are these people serious? Do they think I’m just a massive corporation? Do they not realize that I’m one of them? Do they not see what a huge breakthrough this is in our field?! I was furious. I was hurt. I almost gave up that day 4 years ago. I almost let their opinions stop me. I couldn’t fathom that I was being called an enemy of veterinary medicine because I was pioneering a new way for us to help our patients. It didn’t stop with the internet either.
My Journey with Cannabis and Veterinary Science: How it Started
I was a professional speaker for several years when I first started my career as an entrepreneur. I went to veterinary conferences, veterinary colleges, and taught about veterinary cannabis. I received copious amounts of pushback, insults, and ridicule. Even with the validity and support of other educators, veterinarians, and my own products in international
clinical trials, none of it mattered. The stigma seemed like it was there to stay, especially in veterinary medicine.
I’ll never forget the day two veterinary supply companies, MWI and Patterson, ganged up on me at a veterinary conference – telling me that it’s illegal for a veterinarian to even discuss CBD with their patients. This, of course, is false and yet another lie spread by propaganda. I stood between three drug reps as they attempted to invalidate cannabis and its therapeutic potential.
At first, I thought I was inspiring discussion, but I quickly realized that I threatened their hold on the veterinary industry. Shifting a vet’s focus from a $450/month prescription to a $30 bag of treats meant that I was taking money out of the pharmacy’s pocket… uh-oh, I was playing with the big dogs now and that was not necessarily my intention.
Veterinarians were leaving themselves out of the conversation altogether out of fear. They weren’t being educated on safe products, how to read COA’s, contraindicated medications, current clinical trials, or… anything. Their fear and lack of education trickled down to the client. This left uneducated veterinarians, confused pet parents, and suffering animals stuck in between. You depend on your veterinarian to guide you on the best treatment option for your pets, so if they seem fearful of CBD – you will be too.
An Informal Survey on Cannabis at the Vet’s Office
At one point in my career, I decided to just spend a week calling veterinarians and asking if they were “CBD-friendly” or not.
Out of the 500 practices I called throughout Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri, 60% – Outraged, hung up on me, or insulted me
- 20% – Receptionist whispered that they wanted to know more but their Veterinarian was dead-set against it
- 18% – Argued with me that any cannabis is toxic to dogs
- 2% – Booked a lunch and learn to have me come teach about veterinary cannabis
. I had several veterinarians tell me that they felt they would lose their license if they discussed CBD, or any hemp derivatives, as a potential treatment option for their patients.
Why Veterinary Medicine Needs to Know About CBD
Veterinarians would steer clients to “Google” what CBD could do for their dog, and that left their clients susceptible to whichever hemp company paid the most in marketing that month, as opposed to having their veterinarian help guide them on making the best selection.
The climate was muddy at best. I saw veterinarians prescribe Xanax, Gabapentin, and Trazodone for dogs that were on a hemp regimen. These medications contraindicate with cannabis-derived medicine, so the effects of these pharmaceuticals last for twice as long, typically because the enzymes can’t break down all the medication and cannabis at once.
Gabapentin, for example, is typically a medication that hangs around for 12 hours. When you administer Gabapentin and CBD to a dog, the Gabapentin stays in the bloodstream for over 24 hours. Yet another reason why veterinarians should include themselves in the conversation, take their education into their own hands, and move away from the stigma that surrounds cannabis.
10 years ago, I never thought I would live in a world where cannabis didn’t send you straight to jail. I never pictured a world where I could start a company, develop hemp products, or take that phone call from Truman’s mom. I thought that all the glass ceilings were already shattered – but funny enough, I found my own to slam right through.
About the Author
Andrea Harris is a veterinary tech, the CEO of Henry’s Happy Treats, a certified instructor with the American Association of Veterinary State Boards, and Veterinary Medicine Enemy #1.
