In Collaboration with Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Downing Center for Pain Management

Boulder, CO — HempMy Pet™, a vertically integrated Colorado Hemp company that grows medicinal hemp and produces CBD-infused pet products, is pleased to announce the completion of a clinical trials study to assess the impact of hemp-derived Cannabidiol (CBD) on dogs suffering with chronic pain and decreased functionality due to osteoarthritis. Overseen by Robin Downing, DVM, MS, DAAPM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CCRP of the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management in Windsor Colorado, and Lori Kogan, Ph.D. and Peter W. Hellyer, DVM, MS, DACVAA, both of Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, the 90-day study included 26 dogs whose owners administered HempMy Pet™ full-spectrum CBD oil while under the care of Dr. Downing. All canine participants had suffered from chronic arthritic  pain for at  least 3 months. They were evaluated and assessed throughout the study by Dr. Downing. Most of the participating dogs, prior to the study, were pain managed through gabapentin and/or other pain medications. One goal of the study was to decrease the use of these medications, without increasing pain, through the implementation of CBD. Detailed findings of this study are currently being compiled and will be published in a peer reviewed journal, yet preliminary reports look quite promising. Additionally, a documentary on this study is in the early stages of creation.

It is evident from the overwhelming number of  owners’ anecdotal stories that countless dogs enjoy a higher quality of life because of CBD-infused products. However, due to CBD’s legal ambiguity, there is a lack of research and a derth of knowledge about quality control, appropriate dosage, etc. As a result, many people are still hesitant to try these products on their beloved pets, and most veterinarians are reluctant to recommend them for their patients. Yet, as Marc Brannigan, Co-founder and CEO of HempMy Pet™,  explains, “You would not believe the testimonials we have received from our customers over the years. I am thrilled we can now back up these testimonials with clinical research – enabling us to help more animals and further the advancement of herbal medicine. We could not be more honored to have been chosen to participate in this ground-breaking study.”

The veterinarian in charge of overseeing the study and assessing the canine patients was Robin Downing, DVM, MS, DAAPM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CCRP. Dr Downing is the founder and director of The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, LLC, an American Animal Hospital Association accredited hospital in Windsor, Colorado. Her hospital is known as Northern Colorado’s first and most comprehensive veterinary pain management and prevention practice for pets.

Dr. Downing states: “As a pet pain expert, I am always on the lookout for effective strategies to relieve chronic pain in my patients.  My commitment to evidence-based medicine prompted my participation in this unique pilot study to evaluate hemp-derived CBD oil from Hemp My Pet in dogs with chronic maladaptive pain – – primarily pain from osteoarthritis.  I was delighted to observe that the majority of the dogs enrolled in the study demonstrated clear benefit from taking this CBD product.  It is important for the data collected during this study to be published in order that other veterinary practitioners can better understand the role that a consistent, quality-assured CBD product can play in their management of their patients’ chronic pain.  Veterinarians have a moral obligation to advocate on behalf of beings who cannot advocate for themselves.  When we are presented with an opportunity to improve our patients’ quality of life, clinical bioethical principles obligate us to consider that opportunity seriously.”

Lori Kogan, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences of Colorado State University Veterinarian Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and a licensed psychologist. She is the editor of the American Psychological Association’s Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin, and also the founder/director of Pets Forever, a non-profit program and service-learning course designed to help low income elderly and disabled pet owners. Dr. Kogan has published numerous journal articles, co-edited two books, and given invited presentations on topics related to human animal interactions in both psychology and veterinary medicine venues. She is currently engaged in several research projects pertaining to the intersection of the human animal bond and veterinary medicine. She is passionate about animal welfare, and as part of her efforts in this area, she has studied topics related to animal pain. In her quest to assess alternatives to traditional medicine for pets, she has published several papers related to the use of CBD in companion animals. Dr. Kogan’s most recent article on the topic is “US Veterinarians’ Knowledge, Experience and Perception Regarding the Use of Cannabidiol for Canine Medical Conditions”, recently published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

As Dr. Kogan explains, “I was delighted to join this dynamic research team to run a clinical trial assessing HMP’s CBD for the treatment of pain in dogs. I had heard wonderful things about HMP and felt confident that their high quality, third-party evaluated and tested product would give us the highest chance of a successful clinical trial. The results of this study have far exceeded my expectations.”

Peter W. Hellyer, DVM, MS, DACVAA, is Professor of Veterinary Anesthesiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Fort Collins, CO. His research interests include factors affecting the clinical management of pain in animals and outcomes assessment within veterinary medicine, education, and practice.

“One of the most important things veterinarians can do is to relieve our patients’ pain and suffering. Just as it does with people, we know that chronic pain from osteoarthritis can decrease a dog’s quality of life. The longer a dog is in chronic pain the more difficult it becomes to manage, and unfortunately, existing traditional therapies and medications often fail to adequately control the pain. It is for these reasons that I was particularly interested in this project – it primarily involved dogs with this type of chronic pain. I admit that I had not expected the results of this clinical case series to be so promising. The outcomes from this study suggest that CBD shows great promise as an effective and appropriate treatment for canine patients with chronic osteoarthritis pain” says Dr. Hellyer.

Founded in 2016, HM Health, LLC  is the manufacturer of HempMY Pet™.  HempMy Pet™ offers CBD-infused products for dogs, cats and horses and all products are made with their own, in-house strain-specific, full-spectrum hemp extract. With greenhouses and facilities located in Loveland, Colorado, HM Health owns and manages their organic hemp operation, extracting the full spectrum oil from their plants and infusing it into their line of CBD-infused, human-grade pet products that they formulate and produce themselves. “Being vertically integrated is very important to us because we have complete control over the quality and integrity of our products from beginning to end, which enables us to offer safe, effective and consistent options for people who are looking for alternative solutions for their pet’s well-being” says Natalie Mondine, Co-Founder, COO and Head Formulator. “When you’re making products that are being used as alternative medicine, you cannot risk subpar ingredients from questionable sources, that is a responsibility as a medicine-maker that I take very seriously. This is why, when we were asked to participate in this clinical trial study, we knew our products and company ethics would fit the needs of this study perfectly.”

Please stay tuned for publication of study, and documentary that will follow. Early results have been very positive and more encouraging than anticipated and we’re excited to make the details and findings available for public viewing. More info will be posted as it becomes available at HempMyPet.com.