CBD is just as useful for dogs as it is for humans. Dog owners use CBD products to support separation anxiety, chronic joint pain, inflammation, digestive upset, motion sickness, and much more.
CBD products designed for pets are notoriously overpriced. Many CBD brands will use the same CBD oil offered in its regular lineup, but charge an additional 10% or more for the pet version of the oil.
Here, we’ll cover three of the top-rated CBD products for pets that are worth the money. We’ll also cover some key points to consider when shopping for CBD pet products, and how to use them with your dog effectively.
Best CBD Pet Products (2020)
- Royal CBD – Award Winning, Best CBD Oil For Dogs Overall
- Gold Bee – Runner Up, Quality Product at a Good Price
- Blessed CBD – Potent CBD, But Only Ships to the UK
1. Royal CBD Pet Oils — Editor’s Pick
Royal CBD pet oils come in three different strengths. They’re formulated to help pet owners match the oil with the size of their pet.
The lowest potency oil (125 mg) is best suited for very small dogs (less than 15 pounds), as well as cats. The lower potency makes it easier to be precise with the lower doses of CBD these small animals need.
The medium potency pet oil (250 mg) is better for dogs between 15 and 30 pounds. These animals need a higher dose of CBD, so the higher potency is better for hitting the target dose without having to give your pet large doses of oil at a time.
The high-potency option (500 mg) is the most popular pet oil size. It’s suitable for pets that weigh more than 30 pounds, but less than 60.
For dogs over 60 pounds, we recommend going for the 1000 mg CBD oil offered in Royal CBDs regular line of oils.
All Royal CBD oils are safe for dogs — the difference with their pet lineup is that they come with a dog-friendly bacon flavor and offer smaller potencies to use with very small animals. If you’re interested in trying CBD oil yourself, you can go for the regular lineup of oils and use them for both yourself and your pets. We just recommend you stick to the unflavored version if using the regular line of CBD products.
Royal CBD pet oils are listed as the top recommendation for pet owners on a variety of reputable websites — including SF Weekly, SF Examiner, LA Weekly, Orlando Weekly, SA Current, Metro Times, Riverfront Times, and Cleveland Scene.
Pros:
- Available in multiple different potencies to match the size of your dog
- Comes with bacon flavor your dog will love
- Independently tested for purity and safety
Cons:
- Not available at your local pet shop or dispensary (online only)
2. Gold Bee CBD Oils — Runner-Up
Unlike Royal CBD, Gold Bee doesn’t have a specific line of oils for pets — however, the regular lineup of oils is already perfectly suited for use with dogs.
These oils come in three different potencies. It’s best to pair the strength of the CBD oil you’re using with the size of your dog.
The lowest potency oil contains 300 mg of CBD — which is suitable for dogs under 30 pounds.
The medium potency oil (600 mg) is better-suited for dogs between 30 and 60 pounds.
The highest potency (1200 mg) is the best option for large dogs over 60 pounds.
One of the main selling points of Gold Bee CBD oils for dogs is the price. These oils contain a very high-grade hemp extract, rich in various phytochemicals such as terpenes, sterols, and cannabinoids. The combination of effects from these different compounds makes these oils exceptionally strong compared to your average CBD pet oil.
Despite the quality of these oils, the price for a single bottle is well below the industry average and substantially lower than comparable CBD pet oils.
If you decide to use Gold Bee as your CBD pet oil of choice, make sure you go for the unflavored version. Dogs tend to steer away from overly sweet flavors, and the other option in the Gold Bee lineup is a honey-flavored CBD oil.
Pros:
- Premium full-spectrum CBD oil at a low overall cost
- Independently tested for purity and potency
- Multiple potency options allow you to optimize the oil for the size of your dog
Cons:
- No pet-specific flavors in this product lineup
3. Blessed CBD Oil — The UK’s Best CBD Oil
Blessed CBD is a UK-based CBD brand with some of the top-rated CBD products in Europe.
Like Gold Bee, this company doesn’t have a specific pet lineup of CBD products. However, their regular full-spectrum CBD oils are safe to use with dogs of all sizes.
These oils are completely non-psychoactive, come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and come standard with third-party lab tests to confirm their quality.
Blessed CBD oils are more potent than most CBD brands, so the dosages used for dogs — especially small dogs — are much lower than you’ll find from other brands.
The lowest potency in this lineup is the 500 mg CBD oil — which is sold in small, 10 mL dropper bottles.
Every drop of this oil contains roughly 1.5 mg of CBD. For small dogs, this means the dose is somewhere between 1 and 5 drops of CBD. For medium dogs, the dose could be as high as ten drops, and for large dogs, the dose is usually around 15 or 20 drops.
We only recommend using the 500 mg CBD oil for use with pets, as the 1000 and 1800 mg CBD oils are a little bit too strong to accurately dispense the lower doses needed by dogs.
Another comparable brand to consider in the UK is Crush CBD.
Pros:
- Made from organic hemp plants in the UK
- Full-spectrum hemp extracts safe to use with dogs of all sizes
Cons:
- Only available in the UK
- No dog-specific flavor options available in this product line
Tips For Buying CBD Pet Oils
There are hundreds of CBD companies selling pet products these days. The problem is that they all look the same on the surface — making it hard to determine which products are worth the money and which ones aren’t.
Here are three tips to help you assess CBD products before you buy:
1. Assess Value Over Initial Cost
Most people only look at the initial cost of a CBD pet oil before they buy. While it’s possible to find cheap CBD oils (less than $30), these products usually have very poor value for the money.
A better metric for assessing a CBD product’s cost is to look at the cost per milligram of CBD. You can find this by dividing the total cost of the oil by the CBD content.
For example, a $30 bottle of CBD oil that contains 75 mg of CBD would have a cost per mg of around 40 cents. This is extremely poor value when you consider that the average CBD oil costs around 15 cents per milligram or less.
The dose of CBD can vary from 2 mg to 20 mg for most dogs — so this CBD oil could cost up to $8 for a single dose.
You’ll save a lot more money in the long-run if you order CBD oils that have a good value, even if the upfront cost is a little bit higher.
2. Read Reviews & Look For Brand Mentions
One of the easiest ways to assess a CBD product’s quality is to look for reviews from users that have already bought from the company. A quick Google search for the brand name should pull up various user reviews and show websites that either recommend or warn against buying it.
The best sources are experts in the CBD industry, such as Weed News, CFAH, or We Be High.
3. Review the Ingredients List
Most CBD oils are already safe to use with dogs — but you should always check the ingredients first.
The first thing you’re looking for is to determine what kind of extract is used in the oil. Low-quality brands may not offer any CBD extract at all. They’ll use terms like “hemp oil” instead of CBD of full-spectrum hemp extract. These oils should be avoided at all costs.
The second thing you’re looking for are ingredients that may not be safe to use with dogs. An example of this would be caffeine or cacao powder. These ingredients are rare, but some brands include them in the formula to provide an added boost in energy.
How Do I Give CBD Oil To My Dog?
Once you’ve ordered a bottle of CBD oil for your dog, what are you meant to do with it? What’s the best way to use it with your animal?
There are two ways to give CBD oils to dogs:
1. The Conventional Method
This is the most direct way to give CBD oil to your dog. It involves opening their mouth, dropping in a few drops, and closing their mouth for a second or two. Making sure their mouth closes will ensure your dog swallows the entire dose.
This method is the best way to guarantee your dog swallows the entire dose and maybe the best option for people with picky dogs who won’t take their CBD oil another way.
Most medications prescribed by your doctor will be given this way. It doesn’t hurt your dog and is completely safe.
2. The Passive Method
A better method for most dog owners is to mix a dose of CBD oil in with your dog’s food. This method won’t work for every dog, as some animals are picky with their food.
Finding a CBD oil that comes with a dog-friendly flavor (such as beef, bacon, or chicken) can help a lot. If your dog doesn’t eat his food after you add CBD oil, you may need to use method number one, or find some food your dog won’t be able to resist.
What’s the Dose of CBD Oil For Dogs?
The dose of CBD will vary a lot from one dog to another. The size of the animal is the biggest factor, but age, breed, and severity of symptoms also play a role.
When using CBD oil with your pet for the first time, it’s best to start with a low dose and increase gradually over time.
Start with about 2 mg for small dogs or 5 mg for medium and large-sized dogs. Increase the dose by 2 mg (small dogs), or 5 mg (medium and large dogs) each day until you find a dose that works for them.
You’ll know the CBD oil is working when you start to see your dog’s symptoms improving.
If your dog experiences side effects (most commonly fatigue or lethargy), you should reduce the dose slightly until these side effects no longer appear.
Pro Tip: Using Cannabis Terpene Extracts With Dogs
CBD isn’t the only active ingredient in cannabis. Another class of compounds — called terpenes — plays a major role in the therapeutic effects of a CBD oil. Some terpenes provide additional anti-inflammatory effects; others reduce pain. Some terpenes, such as caryophyllene, work through a similar mechanism as CBD itself and help by slowing down the deactivation of CBD in the liver.
Many pet owners combine their pets CBD oil with terpene concentrates to boost their effects and make the CBD oil stronger without increasing the dose.
The best source for terpene concentrates in the United States is Finest Labs.
CBD oils are a great tool to use with dogs of all ages. It helps with chronic joint pain in older dogs, reduces inflammation in the digestive tract, eases separation anxiety, prevents motion sickness on long car rides, and much more.
Finding the right CBD pet oil for the job can be challenging — many CBD pet oils don’t provide a strong enough dose to provide noticeable results, and others charge much more than they’re worth.
When shopping for CBD oils for your pet, look for products that are made from full-spectrum extracts, use organic hemp, and cost around 15 cents per milligram of CBD or less.
It’s important to source CBD oils from reputable brands to avoid wasting your money on ineffective or potentially dangerous products.
Our top recommendation is Royal CBD for its award-winning CBD pet oil lineup.
