Remember when CBD was the hottest topic in veterinary medicine? I sat down with Stephen Niño Cital, lead editor of the first veterinary cannabinoid medicine textbook and director of pain and cannabinoid medicine at Remedy Veterinary Specialists, to find out where things landed after that early buzz. Stephen breaks down the hemp versus cannabis distinction, explains why the field has matured rather than fizzled, and shares where he actually uses cannabinoids: chronic pain, epilepsy, canine cognitive dysfunction, and some itchy derm cases. We also get into dosing, wildly variable product quality, drug interactions, and why he doesn’t reach for CBD to manage pre-visit anxiety. If your clients are asking about cannabinoids (and they are), this one will help you answer with confidence. Let’s get into it!
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ABOUT OUR GUEST
Stephen Niño Cital holds a Masters in veterinary anesthesiology and is a veterinary technician specialist (VTS) in research anesthesia among other credentials. He has a passion for anesthesia, pain management, and integrative medicine. Stephen has authored numerous peer reviewed articles and contributed to several textbooks- including acting as the lead editor for the first veterinary cannabinoid medicine textbook and more recently a second edition of a pain management textbook. He has many exciting professional highlights but some of his favorites include being part the scientific team that discovered acidic cannabinoid forms are absorbed more efficiently than decarboxylated forms, discovered a common drug used in anesthesia causes a serious complication known as methemoglobinemia in monkeys, invented a smaller and more practical blood filter for animals during blood transfusions, and helped gain title protection for veterinary technician specialists. Stephen is a lab manager for HHMI at Stanford University in the department of neurobiology, and the Chief Veterinary Nursing Officer and director of the pain and cannabinoid medicine services at Remedy Veterinary Specialists. Additionally, he is the COO of the Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds, LLC., and Executive Director of the Academy of Laboratory Animal Veterinary Technicians and Nurses, and president of the California RVT Association. His current pursuits include completing another acupuncture certification and a VTS in neurology.
