Best CBD for Dogs – Buyer’s Guide (Updated: 2020) | The Journal of the San Juan Islands

CBD is just as useful for dogs as it is for humans.

The only difference between the best CBD products made for dogs and other CBD products is the dosages used (dogs have lower body weight and need less CBD) and flavors used (pet oils often come with bacon, chicken, or beef flavoring).

In this article, you’ll learn how to use CBD to support your dog’s chronic pain, inflammation, or anxiety. We’ll cover the safety aspects of using CBD products with pets and offer three top-shelf CBD products to consider using with your animal in 2020.

Let’s start with our list of the three best CBD products for dogs.

The Best CBD Products 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 Treats — Editor’s Pick

Royal CBD carries two pet-specific CBD products — these CBD-infused pet treats and a range of three different CBD pet oils.

Both options are excellent products for dogs and come specifically formulated to make them more desirable for your pet. This makes giving CBD to your animal much easier — especially for pet owners with picky animals.

The dog treats have a particular advantage over the oils in that they come with three unique formulas tailored to specific applications or symptoms:

Active Treats — formulated with turmeric and boswellia to support joint health
Calming Treats — formulated with L-theanine and chamomile for added stress-relief
Hearty Treats — formulated with blueberries and flax for antioxidant support

Each treat comes with 5 mg of CBD, which makes it easy to tailor the dose of CBD to the size of your pet (more on how much CBD to use with dogs based on their size later).

These treats come highly recommended by past customer reviews as well as a variety of high-profile media outlets in the United States. A few examples include SF Weekly, Riverfront Times, CityBeat, We Be High, and CFAH.

Pros:

Three uniquely formulated CBD treats for pain, anxiety, and general wellness
Standardized to contain 5 mg of CBD per treat
Backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons:

Only available through the official website (not sold in-store)

2. Gold Bee CBD Oil — Runner-Up

Gold Bee doesn’t have a specific lineup of pet products, but the standard lineup is already well-suited for use with dogs.

These oils come in three potencies — which can be used to match the size and weight of your animal:

Small Dogs (under 15 lbs) — go for the low-potency, 300 mg CBD oil
Mid-Sized Dogs (15 to 30 lbs) — go for the medium-potency, 600 mg CBD oil
Large Dogs (Over 30 lbs) — go for the high-potency, 1200 mg CBD oil

All three of these oils come with the option of either an unflavored base or a honey-flavor. The best option for dogs is the unflavored version, which you can mix in with their food to mask the taste.

These oils have been mentioned among the best CBD oils on the market by media outlets, including Observer, Orlando Weekly, VentureBeat, LA Weekly, Cleveland Scene, SF Examiner, SA Current, and Metro Times.

The main selling point of these oils is their ideal cost to potency ratio. The oil contained inside each bottle is much better than average — as clearly indicated on the independent lab reports posted on the company website.

In terms of price, these oils are roughly 15% below the average compared to most CBD pet oils.

It’s common for CBD brands to add a pet oil to their lineup, which uses the same oils offered in the standard lineup, but at a markup. Most people will pay more for CBD oils simply because it has a picture of a dog on the bottle.

Save your money and go for brands like Gold Bee that can be used just as well for your dog as they can for you.

Pros:

Excellent cost to potency ratio for a CBD oil
Third-party lab reports posted live on the company website
Has a high concentration of medicinal terpenes and complementary cannabinoids

Cons:

No dog-friendly flavors available in this range

3. Blessed CBD Oil — UK’s Best CBD Brand

Blessed CBD is based out of the United Kingdom. Here, they’re one of the most highly-revered brands in the country. They sponsor several high-level MMA athletes and come with dozens of high-profile expert recommendations.

These oils aren’t specifically marketed for use with dogs, but they’re just as safe and effective for our furry companions as they are for us.

Blessed CBD oils come in three different potencies, but the best CBD oil to use with dogs of all sizes is the 500 mg bottle.

These oils use a much smaller bottle size than American CBD companies. They come in a 10 mL dropper bottle instead of the standard 30 mL bottle. This means a 500 mg CBD oil from Blessed CBD is roughly 60% stronger than a 500 mg CBD oil using the conventional bottle size.

A 500 mg CBD oil from Blessed CBD delivers roughly 1.5 milligrams of CBD per drop, which means the dosages used for dogs are measured in single drops rather than milliliters.

Small Dogs (under 15 lbs) — use 1 to 5 drops of oil
Mid-Sized Dogs (15 to 30 lbs) — use 3 to 10 drops of oil
Large Dogs (Over 30 lbs) — use 5 to 20 drops of oil

All Blessed CBD oils come unflavored (ideal for use with dogs) and come with the entire range of third-party testing.

A good alternative UK-based CBD brand to consider is Crush CBD. They offer similar products at a competitive price point.

Pros:

High-potency oil means you only need a few drops for an effective dose
Made from organic, full-spectrum hemp extract
Independent lab tests provided for full transparency

Cons:

Only available in the UK

How Does CBD Work For Dogs?

CBD works through a series of receptors collectively called the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

All vertebrate animals on earth, including dogs, have this system.

The endocannabinoid system is used to regulate everything from hormone production to pain transmission. By supporting this underlying regulatory system, CBD is able to help alleviate symptoms of chronic stress and anxiety, joint pain, inflammation, and much more.

Pet owners are using CBD products to help their dogs with the following symptoms:

Separation anxiety
Fear of loud noises (such as thunder or construction)
To ease stress while traveling or having company over
To reduce nausea and vomiting
To manage chronic joint and hip pain in older animals

Is CBD Safe For Dogs?

CBD is completely non-toxic and safe to use with dogs. On rare occasions, CBD has been known to cause side effects such as fatigue, lethargy, and dizziness.

If you notice your dog is sleeping a lot more than usual after you give them a dose of CBD, you may want to reduce the next dose. Repeat the process until this symptom goes away.

If your dog is taking any medications or has severe underlying medical problems, it’s wise to speak with your vet before you try CBD. In some cases, CBD products may interfere with medications and cause potentially dangerous side effects.

Some pet owners are using cannabis-derived terpenes with their pets as well. While terpenes are safe to use with dogs, it’s important you’re using real terpenes instead of synthetic versions. Some synthetic terpenes can harm your animal.

For real, high-quality hemp-derived terpenes, check out the selection at Finest Labs.

How Much CBD Should I Give My Dog?

The dose of CBD depends on your dogs’ size and weight. Other factors, such as the age of your dog, the status of your dogs’ digestive system (affects absorption), or metabolic factors, can all affect the optimal dose for your pet.

If you’re just getting started, use the dosage recommendations listed below to find the ideal starting dose for your dog based on their individual weight. From here, increase the dose slowly over a few days until you notice symptoms disappear.

The recommended starting dose of CBD for dogs:

Very Small Dogs (2-15 lbs) — 0.5 mg – 5 mg
Small Dogs (15-30 lbs) — 5 mg – 10 mg
Medium Dogs (30-60 lbs) — 7.5 mg – 15 mg
Large Dogs (60-150 lbs) — 15 mg – 40 mg

Key Takeaways: Best CBD Products For Dogs

Dogs have just as much to gain from CBD supplementation as humans. Pet owners are using CBD products to manage separation anxiety, chronic joint pain, inflammatory disorders, and much more with their dogs.

The best CBD products for dogs are made from full-spectrum extracts (preferably organic) and an appropriate dose of CBD for the size of your animal.

Small dogs need a low dose of CBD, so it’s better to use low-potency oils or treats.

Larger dogs will need higher doses, so it makes more sense to get stronger CBD products.

We recommend checking out the CBD dog treats offered by Royal CBD as our top pick. They come in three separate formulas to match your individual health goals for your dog (joint pain, anxiety, or overall health and wellness). Each treat contains an even 5 mg of CBD, so it’s easy to deliver the optimal dose of CBD for the size of your dog by giving 1, 2, 3, or 4 treats at a time.

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