It’s hard to watch your dog suffer from chronic pain — which is why so many pet owners are reaching for a bottle of CBD pet oil, or a bag of CBD dog treats to help their animal cope.
CBD blocks pain by targeting inflammation in the joints and hips responsible for conditions such as arthritis. It also works to mute pain signals caused by other health conditions before they reach the brain.
These benefits offer dramatic improvements to your dog’s quality of life.
But not all CBD pet oils are the same.
Many companies are selling low-grade CBD oil and marking it up for being a “specialty pet product.”
Here, we’ll provide a few examples of reputable brands offering top-shelf CBD products for pets, and offer some tips on what to look for when shopping for a CBD brand to use with your dog.
The Top Three CBD Brands For Dogs
- Royal CBD – Award Winning, Best CBD Oil Overall
- Gold Bee – Runner Up, Quality Product at a Good Price
- Blessed CBD – Potent CBD, But Only Ships to the UK
1. Royal CBD — Editor’s Pick
Royal CBD only recently stepped into the CBD pet space with a brand new CBD pet oil line and a selection of CBD-infused dog treats.
This company already had a large and loyal customer base, so it didn’t take long before these CBD pet products started getting noticed by the public.
You can find Royal CBD products as the number one recommendation on various websites — including LA Weekly, Observer, VentureBeat, Orlando Weekly, SF Examiner, We Be High, and Cleveland Scene.
Royal CBD pet oils come in three potency options to match your animal’s size — 125 mg for small dogs (and cats), 250 mg for medium-sized dogs, and a larger 500 mg CBD oil for large dogs.
These oils are made from the same high-quality, full-spectrum hemp extract the brand is famous for, but come in a dog-friendly bacon flavor instead.
The CBD-infused dog treats are also notable — offering three unique formulas, designed for supporting specific symptoms or complaints:
- Active — for supporting joint and muscle health
- Calm — for reducing stress and anxiety
- Hearty — for supporting cardiovascular health and energy levels
2. Gold Bee — Runner-Up
Gold Bee is a newer CBD company. While they don’t have a specific pet range in their lineup yet, the company’s regular CBD oil options are already well-suited for use in dogs.
There are few differences between a dog-specific CBD oil from regular CBD oils. The main difference between the two is the potency. Dogs are much smaller than humans, so it makes sense to use a smaller potency.
Gold Bee sells its oil in three tiers — low-potency (300 mg), medium potency (600 mg), and high potency (1200 mg). Both the 300 and 600 mg bottles are suitable for use with dogs. Stay away from the 1200 mg bottle unless you’ve got a very large dog or have experience using CBD oil with your animal already.
I also recommend you go for the unflavored version of this oil for dogs.
Gold Bee is best known for its high cost to potency ratio — meaning you pay less for a higher quality product. Various media outlets have already acknowledged the brand for the exceptional quality and price of these oils. Just a few examples include CL Tampa, SF Weekly, CityBeat, SA Current, Metro Times, and more.
3. Blessed CBD — The UK’s Best CBD Brand
Blessed CBD is a UK-based brand known for its organic, full-spectrum CBD products.
It’s important to find local CBD brands if you live in the UK because most US-based CBD companies don’t ship to Europe. Blessed CBD, and another local brand, Crush CBD, are the best options to consider if you’re a resident of Europe.
Like Gold Bee, Blessed CBD doesn’t have a specific line of pet products. However, the brand’s 500 mg oil is a popular choice among pet owners living in the United Kingdom. It offers a relatively high potency of CBD per drop, at around 1.5 mg each.
Dog owners may opt for these higher potency oils because they just need to add a couple of drops to their dogs’ food for an effective dose. For small dogs (less than 7 kg), the starting dose of this oil is around three drops. For medium dogs (7 – 20 kg), just 6 – 10 drops, and for large dogs (over 20 kg), around 15 drops.
This oil is unflavored by default but provides a high concentration of active terpenes. These terpenes offer additional pain and anxiety relief but give the oil a pungent taste. Some dogs don’t like the taste of hemp oil, so using a high potency product allows you to mask the natural hemp flavor from your dog more easily.
Rather than adding a few milliliters of oil, you just need a few drops — making it much less likely for your dog to notice.
Is CBD Safe For Dogs?
CBD is used by tens of thousands of pet owners on their dogs all over the world. It comes publicly recommended by expert veterinarians and has been proven safe in scientific research.
CBD is safe for dogs, cats, horses, and many other animals.
However, that doesn’t mean side effects aren’t possible.
Just like any other health supplement, side effects are more likely to occur if used in higher doses. This is why it’s important to start at a low dose of CBD when first starting, and increasing slowly over time. This is, by far, the easiest way to avoid side effects.
The most common side effects you’re likely to see in your dog are fatigue or lethargy. They may be more sleepy or groggy than usual.
If you notice these side effects, you should reduce the next dose you give them.
More severe side effects may include nausea or vomiting, headaches, dizziness, or skin rashes. Speak with your vet as soon as possible if you notice any side effects aside from fatigue or lethargy.
What’s the Ideal Dose of CBD For Dogs?
The dose of CBD will vary depending on the size of your dog and other factors like your dog’s breed, age, gender, underlying health conditions, and individual genetics.
It’s hard to give a specific dose for every dog because of these variables.
Instead, it’s best to follow the idiom “go low and slow.” This means starting with a dose lower than you think they need, and increasing the dose slowly over time until you find what works for your dog.
Here are some general starting doses for dogs according to size:
- Small Dogs (under 15 pounds) = 2 mg (add 1 mg per day)
- Medium-Small Dogs (15 to 30 pounds) = 5 mg (add 2 mg per day)
- Medium-Large Dogs (30 to 60 pounds) = 10 mg (add 5 mg per day)
- Large Dogs (over 60 pounds) = 15 mg (add 5 mg per day)
CBD Treats vs. CBD Pet Oils
There are two main ways of using CBD with your dog — CBD pet oils and CBD dog treats.
Each has its own set of pros and cons to consider.
1. Cost
The primary consideration people make when buying CBD pet products is the cost.
In general, CBD dog treats are more expensive than CBD oil. The simple reason is that there’s more that goes into making them. On top of the CBD and carrier oils, you’ve got other herbs or nutrients and the dog treat base.
Oils, on the other hand, require much fewer ingredients and therefore cut down the cost of the product.
You’ll spend roughly 7 cents extra for every milligram of CBD in a dog treat compared to a CBD pet oil.
2. Ease of Use
Both CBD pet treats and CBD oils are easy to use with dogs. You can add CBD oils directly to your dogs’ food.
However, some dogs are particularly picky and will avoid their food if there’s anything different about it (such as being mixed with hemp oil).
In this case, CBD pet treats are an easier option. They’re different from food and don’t have the same association with your dog. They also contain other ingredients your dog will love (such as chicken, beef, or bacon) to mask the hemp’s flavor.
Treats are also easier to calculate doses because they come with a set amount per piece. Compare this with a CBD oil that requires you to first calculate how much volume you need for a dose, and then accurately measure this volume to use with your dog.
3. Potency
Both CBD oils and CBD treats come in a wide range of potencies. You can get dog treats with a dose of CBD as low as 2 mg each, or as high as 30 mg each — and everything in-between.
CBD oils also come in a range of potencies, but the most common are 150, 200, 300, 500, and 1000.
There’s no clear winner in this category as both CBD pols and treats can cover the entire range of potencies.
Key Takeaways: What Are The Top CBD Brands For Dogs?
Millions of pet owners worldwide use CBD to help their dog manage chronic pain, anxiety, stress, digestive health, chronic inflammation, and much more.
The best products to use are CBD pet oils, and CBD dog treats — both work just fine. CBD treats will be a little bit more expensive but may offer the best option for people with picky pets.
When shopping for CBD products for dogs, look for evidence of third-party testing. This is the best way to ensure the claims the company is making are true, and the products are clean and free from harmful contaminants.
One of the best brands to use with your dog is Royal CBD. They offer three different formulas of CBD-infused dog treats and three distinct CBD pet oils to best match your animal’s size.
