Like humans, dogs have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) — which is tasked with regulating several key processes around the body.

The ECS regulates hormone production, nerve transmission, pain sensation, hunger, inflammation, and much more.

CBD products leverage this system to support your dog’s overall health. If something is out of balance (chronic pain, inflammation, anxiety, poor appetite), CBD is useful for bringing everything back towards the baseline.

Many pet owners are using CBD pet oils and CBD pet treats to alleviate symptoms like separation anxiety, chronic joint and hip pain, and digestive dysfunction. They’re also using these products to help mitigate the side effects induced by chemotherapy.

Here, we’ll cover our top-three CBD products for dogs to consider buying in 2020.

Best CBD Products For Dogs (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 makes two dog-friendly CBD products — these full-spectrum pet oils, and three separate dog-treat formulas.

We like these pet oils for their low cost, high bioavailability, and ability to provide precise doses for different sizes of dogs.

All Royal CBD pet oils come with a bacon flavor as a standard. This makes it much easier to convince your dog to eat the oil. Some dogs are picky about their food and will turn their noses up at a bowl of food mixed with raw CBD oil. The bacon flavor masks the natural hemp flavor and gives your dog something to get excited about.

These oils come in three distinct potencies that allow you to match the strength of the oil with the size of your dog:

• 125 mg CBD oil — for small dogs under 15 lbs
• 250 mg CBD oil — for medium dogs between 15 and 30 lbs
• 500 mg CBD oil — for medium-large dogs between 30 and 60 lbs

For very large dogs (over 60 lbs), you can use the 500 mg CBD pet oil or go for the 1000 mg CBD oil in the companies standard range. Just make sure you go with the unflavored version of this oil if you plan to use it with your dog.

All Royal CBD oils have been verified for quality and purity by an independent lab and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

These pet oils have been mentioned as the top choice on various media outlets in 2020, including We Be High, SF Weekly, and SF Examiner. The company’s regular line of CBD oils have also earned a ton of recommendations. Some examples include LA Weekly, Observer, Orlando Weekly, SA Current, Metro Times, Cleveland Scene, Riverfront Times, VentureBeat, and CL Tampa.

Pros:

• Bacon flavor makes it easy to convince dogs to use this oil
• Multiple potencies allow you to select the best CBD oil for your dog (based on weight)
• Made from a full-spectrum organic hemp extract

Cons:

• Not available in-store (online brand only)

2. Gold Bee CBD Oils — Runner-Up

Gold Bee is known for making some of the most terpene-rich CBD oils on the market. They’re using a unique extraction method that allows the Gold Bee team to maintain exceptionally high terpene profiles in the final product.

Terpenes are an important part of the therapeutic effect of a CBD oil. Some provide potent analgesic or anti-inflammatory benefits; others increase the absorption or slow the breakdown of CBD itself.

This company doesn’t make a specific pet line of CBD products, but the brand’s regular line of CBD oils are perfectly safe and well-suited for use with dogs.

Here are some suggestions for matching the potency of the oil with the size of your dog:

• 300 mg CBD oil — for small & medium dogs under 30 lbs
• 600 mg CBD oil — for medium-large dogs between 30 and 60 lbs
• 1200 mg CBD oil — for large dogs over 60 lbs

Gold Bee CBD oils come in two different flavor options, but the best choice for dogs is the unflavored version.

This brand is relatively new to the market but has been gaining a lot of attention lately — primarily around the exceptionally high quality of the oils combined with low prices. You’re essentially buying a premium CBD oil here at industry-average prices.

Pros:

• Excellent value for the money (ideal cost to potency ratio)
• Three potency options allow you to order the optimal CBD strength to match your dog’s size
• The full-spectrum formula contains a high concentration of medicinal terpenes

Cons:

• High-demand means these oils are sometimes out of stock (check back later)

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

Blessed CBD operates out of the United Kingdom. This brand has been a leader in the UK CBD market for several years now, providing a level of transparency unmatched by most of its competitors.

This company was one of the first to adopt independent lab verification for its CBD extracts as a standard. This process was uncommon at the time, which allowed untrustworthy companies to sell low-grade CBD oils at a premium.

As a result of their efforts, the Blessed CBD team has been able to create a hugely successful brand with thousands of loyal customers using its products every month.

Blessed CBD doesn’t make a specific pet oil lineup — but the brands standard CBD oils are perfectly safe to use with your dogs. The only real difference between a pet oil and a regular CBD oil is the flavors used. This is purely optional and isn’t completely necessary to give your pet CBD.

We recommend sticking to the 500 mg CBD oil for dogs of all sizes. This product is a high-potency CBD oil, delivering roughly 1.5 milligrams of full-spectrum CBD per drop.

Here are some simple dose ranges for dogs of different sizes using this oil:

• Small dogs (under 15 lbs) — 2 to 5 drops
• Medium dogs (15 – 30 lbs) — 3 to 10 drops
• Medium-large dogs (30 – 60 lbs) — 5 to 15 drops
• Large dogs (over 60 lbs) — 10 to 20 drops

As an alternative option for those living in the United Kingdom, check out Crush CBD. They produce a similar CBD oil in the same price range.

Pros:

• Made from full-spectrum CBD extract
• Suitable for dogs of all sizes
• Every batch is third-party tested and backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons:

• Only available in the UK

Is CBD Safe For Dogs?

CBD is safe for dogs as long as it doesn’t contain contaminants (heavy metals, pesticides, solvents), certain added ingredients (caffeine, theobromine), or high concentrations of THC (legal limit is 0.3%).

All animals have an endocannabinoid system, which is the system CBD products use to exert their effects. This means CBD (and other cannabinoids) has the same impact on our furry friends as it does on us.

Just like humans, giving too much CBD oil to dogs can cause side effects. The most common side effect is fatigue or lethargy, but others include headaches, nausea, or dizziness.

If your dog is showing signs of side effects, use a smaller dose the next time until you see the side effects disappear. Most commonly, dogs who took too much CBD will simply spend more time napping than usual.

Cannabinoids & Dogs

There are many different cannabinoids in hemp extracts — each one providing a different set of effects. Some cannabinoids are anti-inflammatory, others provide more analgesic effects.

The hemp plant produces more than 100 individual cannabinoids, but there are six that make up about 90% of the extract:

1. CBD (cannabidiol) — painkiller, anti-inflammatory, sedative

2. CBC (cannabichromene) — anti-anxiety anti-inflammatory

3. CBN (cannabinol) — sedative, anti-anxiety, painkiller

4. CBG (cannabigerol) — appetite suppressant, adaptogenic

5. THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) — painkiller, mild sedative

6. *THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) — psychoactive, appetite stimulant, sedative

*CBD oils have very low concentrations of THC (less than 0.3%). This is not anywhere near enough THC to have psychoactive effects in a CBD oil. None of the oils listed above will make your dog high.

Cannabis Terpenes & Dogs

Terpenes also provide important therapeutic effects in a hemp extract. Most experts recommend using a full-spectrum CBD oil with your dog to take advantage of the many benefits cannabis-derived terpenes offer.

Terpenes are produced in many different plant species and are often the active therapeutic component in medicinal herbs. They also provide the characteristic aroma of different plants such as citrus fruits, nutmeg, mint, lemon balm, hops, lavender, and much more.

Here are some of the most important hemp-derived terpenes to be aware of:

• Lavandin — sedative, anxiolytic
• Humulene — sedative, anxiolytic
• Bisabolol — anti-inflammatory, sedative
• Pinene — mood regulator, antibacterial
• Linalool — painkiller, anti-inflammatory
• Myrcene — anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant
• Borneol — mild sedative and painkiller
• Caryophyllene — boosts the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids

You can usually get a strong dose of cannabis terpene when you use high-grade full-spectrum CBD oils. However, many pet owners will add a few drops of a terpene concentrate to their pets CBD oil to boost its overall effect profile.

You can get specific terpene formulas or terpene blends to use with your pet oil from companies such as Finest Labs.

Key Takeaways: Where to Get CBD Products For Dogs

CBD has a lot of benefits to offer our furry companions. They’re used to support immune function, relieve chronic joint and hip pain, ease anxiety or post-traumatic stress, and much more.

Always order your CBD products from a reputable supplier to avoid mistakenly ordering CBD pet products that are ineffective or contain harmful contaminants or additives.

We recommend checking out the selection at Royal CBD. They offer a variety of different potencies to match your dog’s size and come with a dog-friendly bacon flavor to make it easier to convince your pet to take the oil willingly.

Another great option to consider is the standard CBD oil lineup from Gold Bee. These don’t come with dog-friendly flavorings but provide premium CBD oil that’s safe for dogs at an unbeatable price point.