All animals with a central nervous system respond similarly to CBD. This means CBD oils have virtually the same effect on our animal companions as they do for us.

There are many reasons to use CBD oils with dogs, but the most common examples are to reduce separation anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behavior (like excessive licking or chewing), or chronic joint and hip pain.

No matter what you’re using the CBD oil for, it’s crucial you source from a reputable CBD brand.

Many CBD pet oil manufacturers are charging a premium for their “pet-specific” products, while at the same time use a low-grade, potentially even contaminated CBD extract to make them.

If you’re like us and want only the best for your pet, continue reading to check out three of the best CBD pet oils on the market for dogs.

Top Three CBD Pet Oils to Use With Your Dog (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

What are the qualities of a premium CBD pet oil?

The lineup of pet oils recently launched by Royal CBD is a perfect example of what to look for when shopping for CBD products for your dog.

Here are the highlights:

• Made from organic, full-spectrum hemp extract
• Available in multiple different potencies specifically designed for use with dogs (125 – 500 mg per ounce)
• Flavored with dog-friendly bacon to improve compliance
• Backed by third-party testing on every batch (proof of quality and purity)
• Comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee

While it’s perfectly safe to use any high-quality CBD oil with your dog, it’s best to look for products that are optimized for animals for the best results. This means using dog-friendly flavors and potencies.

Here are some tips on which CBD potency to use depending on your dog’s size:

• 125 mg CBD oil — for small dogs (and cats) under 20 lbs
• 250 mg CBD oil — for mid-sized dogs between 20 and 50 lbs
• 500 mg CBD oil — for large dogs over 50 lbs

These CBD pet oils by Royal CBD are a great option for any pet owner to consider using for their dog. Just make sure to match the potency with the size of your animal.

While most CBD pet oils come with a markup of 10 – 20% compared to standard CBD oils, these products are priced on-par with the company’s regular line of premium CBD products.

This brand is recommended by dozens of high-profile websites, including Observer, Orlando Weekly, SA Current, Metro Times, Cleveland Scene, Riverfront Times, VentureBeat.

Pros:

• Made from a high-grade organic, full-spectrum hemp extract
• Bacon-flavored to make the oil more enjoyable for your dog
• Sold in three distinct potencies to match with the size of your animal

Cons:

• Only available for purchase online (not sold in-store)

2. Gold Bee CBD Oils — Runner-Up

Gold Bee is a powerhouse in the CBD industry — offering some of the highest quality products in this price range.

When you shop with Gold Bee, you’re essentially getting a premium-level product at below-average prices. The founder is dedicated to getting high-grade CBD products to those that need it most. This means making CBD oil affordable by all instead of leveraging the supplement’s popularity to markup the price.

This company doesn’t offer a specific CBD pet oil lineup. However, the company’s regular lineup of CBD products is well-suited for use with dogs. There are no added ingredients that are unsafe for animals, and the THC level in these oils is well-below psychoactive levels.

You can find mentions of this brand on websites including We Be High, LA Weekly, SF Examiner, CFAH, and SF Weekly,

If you plan to use Gold Bee full-spectrum CBD oils with your pets, just make sure to choose an appropriate potency and go for the unflavored version of the oil.

Here are some general recommendations for matching the CBD oil with the size of your dog:

• 300 mg CBD oil — for small and mid-sized dogs (under 50 lbs)
• 600 mg CBD oil — for large dogs (50 – 75 lbs)
• 1200 mg CBD oil — use for very large dogs only (over 75 lbs)

These oils have some of the highest terpene concentrations we’ve seen yet.

These terpenes improve the overall effects of the supplement through a concept called the entourage effect. This is a phenomenon where all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and other hemp-derivatives work together to provide the overall effects of the oil. Together, these ingredients offer a much more powerful benefit than any of them on their own.

Pros:

• These oils are safe and effective for both dogs and humans
• High terpene concentrations in these oils make them stronger than average
• Backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and third-party verification

Cons:

• High demand causes these oils to go out of stock on occasion

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

This company is not based out of the United States. Blessed CBD is headquartered in London, England, and ships throughout the UK.

We’ve included this company as an option for our international readers. Unfortunately, due to strict CBD laws in the US, none of the other brands on this list ship beyond the American border.

Blessed CBD is a leader in the cannabis industry in the UK. They were one of the first brands to begin testing every batch of hemp extract by default. You can find these tests marked on the company website, with batch numbers on each bottle for you to reference the correct test.

These tests are done to prove the oils you’re using are clean, potent, and contain the amount of CBD advertised on the bottle.

Like Gold Bee, this company doesn’t have a specific line of pet CBD products, but its standard line of CBD oils are both safe and effective for use with dogs.

We recommend using the 500 mg CBD oil for dogs of all sizes. Unlike the other brands on this list, Blessed CBD uses small 10 mL dropper bottles for its CBD oils (rather than the standard 30 mL bottles sold by American CBD brands).

This means a bottle of 500 mg Blessed CBD oil is roughly three times more potent than a 500 mg CBD oil from an American company. Each drop of Blessed CBD 500 mg CBD oil delivers roughly 1.5 mg of CBD.

The dosage range of this oil is around 2 – 5 drops for small dogs (less than 20 lbs), 3 – 10 drops for mid-sized dogs (20 – 50 lbs), and 7 – 20 drops for large dogs (over 50 lbs).

Pros:

• Made from high-grade full-spectrum hemp extract
• Safe for humans and dogs to use
• Every batch is third-party tested to verify potency and safety

Cons:

• Only available in the United Kingdom

How to Use CBD Oil With Dogs

You can use CBD products with dogs the same way you would use them on yourself. Most pet owners don’t have any trouble giving their dog CBD.

Some pets are picky and will avoid their food if CBD oils are added to them. For these dogs, you may want to go for a CBD dog treat instead, or go the old fashioned way and drop the CBD oil directly into their mouth.

For skin conditions or joint pain, you may want to go for a topical product instead. Just make sure there are no harmful ingredients in the formula. Your dog is likely going to lick the salve, so it’s important it’s completely non-toxic.

There are three main ways of using CBD products with dogs:

1. Mix it in with their food (or buy premade CBD dog treats)

2. Place the oil directly into their mouths (most direct method)

3. Use a topical CBD product on the skin and coat

A) Find the Right Dose (Based on Your Dogs Weight)

Whenever starting your dog on CBD products for the first time, you’ll need to take some time to find the right dose.

Every animal is different, and there’s no specific dose of CBD for every animal. Factors like your dogs’ weight, metabolism, and digestive health all play a big role in determining the dose of a CBD product.

In general, you’ll want to start with a lower dose than you think they’ll need based on their weight. From here, you can increase the dose gradually over time until you notice symptoms begin to disappear.

Here are some general starting doses for your dogs based on their weight:

• Small Dogs (under 20 lbs) — 2 mg starting dose, increase by 1 mg per dose
• Mid-Sized Dogs (20 – 50 lbs) — 5 mg starting dose, increase by 2 mg per dose
• Large Dogs (50 – 75 lbs) — 7 mg starting dose, increase by 3 mg per dose
• Very Large Dogs (Over 75 lbs) — 10 mg starting dose, increase by 3 mg per dose

B) Talk To Your Vet

It’s a good idea to talk to your vet if you’re using CBD products for any reason for your dog. It’s especially important if your dog has underlying medical conditions or is taking any medications.

In some rare cases, CBD products can interfere with your dogs’ medications or make symptoms worse. Your vet will be able to screen your animal and determine if there are any risks to using CBD oil or not.

C) Consider Cannabis Terpene Extracts

All the CBD pet oils on this list use a full-spectrum hemp extract. These products are considered the best option because they offer more robust effects compared to CBD isolates. The terpenes, cannabinoids, and other phytochemicals all work together to produce the overall effects of the CBD product. This makes it stronger and provides benefits for a longer list of symptoms and conditions.

If you’re using a CBD isolate product, it’s a good idea to use terpene concentrates alongside the oil. This will simulate the effects of a full-spectrum product by adding the terpenes back into the mix.

You can order all kinds of terpenes from companies like Finest Labs in the United States. A few key terpenes to consider include:

• Bisabolol — for inflammatory symptoms
• Linalool — for anxiety and inflammation
• Humulene — for anxiety and sleep disorders
• Myrcene — for pain and inflammation
• Borneol — for heart and digestive health
• Lavandin — for anxiety and stress
• Limonene — for poor mood and stress

D) Monitor For Changes

Once you start giving your pet CBD, it’s helpful to monitor them for at least the first couple of days. Some dogs will show signs of improvement the same day; others may only begin improving after a few days of taking the oil.

Look for changes in your dogs’ symptoms (for better or worse), and watch out for potential side effects.

The most common side effects of CBD in dogs include fatigue, lethargy, and dizziness. If you notice your dog is sleeping a lot more than usual after using CBD, it may be a good idea to lower the dose slightly.

If your dog isn’t showing signs of improvement after about five days, you may want to increase the dose of CBD slightly (unless otherwise stated by your vet).

Many people are using CBD products with their dogs these days — for much the same reason they’re using CBD oils for themselves.

CBD works as a regulatory supplement, modulating vital functions such as blood pressure, pain transmission, inflammation, immune health, allergies, anxiety, and much more.

It’s important to source your CBD oils from reputable brands to avoid falling victim to the many CBD oil scams taking place these days.

We recommend checking out the bacon flavored CBD pet oils from Royal CBD as our top recommendation. The full-spectrum terpene-rich CBD oils from Gold Bee are a solid option as well.