CBD oil is popular for its ability to reduce anxiety, ease pain, and alleviate chronic inflammation — all three of which are common conditions experienced by our pets.
All animals have what’s called an endocannabinoid system (ECS for short). This system is used as a regulator for nerve activity and is important for maintaining homeostasis (balance). In dogs, the ECS is used to regulate hormone levels, pain transmission, nerve activity, immune function, and much more.
Learn how to find the best CBD oils for your dog, how it works, and how to use CBD products safely with dogs.
Best CBD Pet Oils For Dogs: 2020 Roundup
- Royal CBD – Award Winning, Best CBD 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 Oil — Editor’s Pick
Royal CBD carries two separate lines of CBD products for pets on top of their regular line of premium CBD products.
You can get CBD-infused pet treats in three separate formulas (Active, Hearty, and Calming).
The other pet product is their CBD pet oil — which comes with several features designed to optimize these oils for use with dogs.
All Royal CBD Pet Oils come with a bacon-flavor, use full-spectrum hemp extract, and are sold in three potency options appropriate for different sizes of dogs.
If you have a very small dog, it doesn’t make sense to use a super-concentrated form of CBD. A single drop too many could push the dosage over and make your dog feel dizzy or lethargic for the rest of the day. Instead, it makes sense to order a CBD oil with a much lower potency to make up for their small size.
Recommended CBD pet oils for your dog based on weight:
- Small dogs (less than 15 lbs) — Royal CBD 125 mg Pet Oil
- Mid-sized dogs (15 to 30 lbs) — Royal CBD 250 mg Pet Oil
- Large dogs (over 30 lbs) — Royal CBD 500 mg Pet Oil
These CBD oils for dogs deliver excellent value for the money. They’re made from organic hemp, and come with all the third-party testing we’ve come to expect from a premium CBD product — yet the total cost of these oils is below the industry average.
Most CBD pet oils cost between $0.15 and $0.25 per milligram of CBD. Royal CBD pet products clock in just under $0.11 per milligram.
These pet oils have earned dozens of recommendations by industry experts and high-profile media outlets. You can find these oils in the number one recommended CBD pet oil spot on websites including SF Weekly, We Be High, Weed News, and SF Examiner.
2. Gold Bee CBD Oil — Runner-Up
These CBD oils aren’t specifically marketed towards dogs, but they’re perfectly safe to use and come in the ideal potencies for dogs of different sizes and weights.
Gold Bee specializes in making terpene-rich CBD oils for humans and pets alike. None of these oils are psychoactive, and there are no chemical or synthetic additives that could make them unsafe to use with your beloved pet.
These oils come in two different flavors, but we recommend sticking to the unflavored version when using them for your dog.
Like Royal CBD, we recommend matching the potency of the CBD oil you order with the size of your pet. Here are some recommendations for which potencies to order based on the size of your dog:
- Small dogs (less than 15 lbs) — Gold Bee 300 mg CBD Oil
- Mid-sized dogs (15 to 30 lbs) — Gold Bee 600 mg CBD Oil
- Large dogs (over 30 lbs) — Gold Bee 1200 mg CBD Oil
All Gold Bee oils come backed by third-party lab verification to prove the companies claims around the total CBD and purity are correct. You can check these test results out for yourself on the company website.
This brand has also won several awards for the quality of its oils. Check out some examples at Metro Times, SA Current, Cleveland Scene, Riverfront Times, VentureBeat, CityBeat, CL Tampa, Orlando Weekly, Observer, and LA Weekly.
3. Blessed CBD Oil — UK’s Best CBD Oil
This CBD brand is one of the most popular options for pet owners living in the UK. Blessed CBD is based out of London, England, and ships products throughout the UK.
We’ve included this option for our international readers as an alternative to the American brands mentioned on this list. Most American CBD companies won’t ship overseas due to differences in the regulations involving CBD products.
For example, CBD products in the US need to contain no more than 0.3% THC by weight. In the UK, the limit is 0.2%, pushing many American CBD products slightly over the line — which makes them illegal.
Blessed CBD oils come in three different potencies, but we recommend sticking to the 500 mg bottle for dogs regardless of their size.
This oil is relatively potent — delivering 50 mg of CBD per milliliter of oil. This works out to around 1.5 mg of CBD per drop.
Another reputable CBD brand based out of the UK worth considering is Crush CBD.
Is CBD Oil Safe For Dogs?
CBD products are perfectly safe to use with dogs as long as they don’t contain more than 0.3% THC (indicated on the bottle) or other harmful additives. Some ingredients to watch out for include caffeine, theobromine, and xylitol.
Most human CBD oils are safe to use with dogs, but if you want to be extra sure, order products that are specifically marketed towards animals. Some CBD brands add ingredients like caffeine to their regular products to provide added benefit.
Side effects are uncommon but can occur if you give your dog too much CBD.
The most common side effects of CBD in dogs are lethargy, fatigue, and dizziness. You may notice your dog is spending a lot more time sleeping after they’ve had their dose of CBD.
If you notice side effects, reduce the dose of CBD each day until you notice side effects disappear.
How Much CBD Oil Should I Give My Pet?
The CBD dose for dogs varies depending on their individual size and weight.
Most small dogs (under 15 lbs) do best with a dose of around 5 milligrams of CBD. That works out to roughly one full dropper of a 125 mg CBD pet oil.
Mid-sized dogs (15 to 30 lbs) usually require somewhere around 10 mg of CBD per dose. This works out to roughly one and a half droppers of a 250 mg CBD oil.
Large dogs (over 30 lbs) may need anywhere from 15 to 20 mg of CBD per dose. That means the dose of a 500 mg CBD pet oil is somewhere between 1 and 1.5 full droppers.
You may need to tweak the dose slightly for your dog. Start with the average doses listed above and either reduce the dose if you find they’re too tired or increase the dose if it isn’t providing the results you’re looking for.
What Are the Benefits of CBD Oil For Dogs?
CBD has a lot of benefits to offer our pets. It works to reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, and much more.
Here are some of the most common reasons why people are using CBD products with their animals:
- To alleviate separation anxiety
- To reduce chronic joint and hip pain in aging dogs
- To support the side effects of dogs going through chemotherapy
- To reduce post-traumatic stress symptoms in dogs that come from a troubled past
- To reduce motion sickness in dogs while driving or traveling
Can I Use Cannabis Terpenes With My Dog?
Cannabis terpenes have become very popular additions to CBD products in recent years. Terpenes offer therapeutic benefits of their own that complement the effects of CBD very nicely.
Some terpenes boost the painkilling benefits; others reduce inflammation. Some terpenes work exclusively by boosting the amount of CBD that gets absorbed through the gut.
Some pet owners are leveraging these effects to support the health of their dogs.
While it’s perfectly safe to use cannabis terpenes with animals, it’s critical you find a reputable supplier that doesn’t use synthetic versions of these ingredients. Some synthetic terpenes can pose a risk to dogs.
For the best source of high-quality, pure cannabis terpenes, check out the selection at Finest Labs.
Final Thoughts: Best CBD Oils For Dogs
Dogs experience many of the same health conditions as us. They suffer from anxiety, experience chronic joint pain, and develop autoimmune or chronic inflammatory conditions.
CBD is used to support all of these conditions by acting on a central regulatory system in the body known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
In order to get the maximum benefit from a CBD oil, it’s important to find a company that sells a full-spectrum oil made from organic hemp. Look for evidence of third-party testing to prove the companies claims are truthful and accurate.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out the bacon-flavored CBD oils for dogs from brands like Royal CBD, or go for the standard lineup of unflavored CBD oils from reputable brands like Gold Bee.
