Best CBD for Dogs and Cats: 5 CBD Pet Products in 2024
No pet parent wants to see their furry baby suffering, whether it be from pain, irritated skin, or anxiety. When over-the-counter medications are not working for your cats and dogs, you might want to reach for a pet CBD supplement.
CBD for pets? Absolutely! Many premium CBD brands also manufacture quality CBD products for pets that are specially formulated for our four-legged friends. The best CBD for cats and dogs has a top-quality hemp extract and features an all-natural formulation.
Pet CBD supplements come in several forms including CBD pet treats, oils and tinctures, capsules and topicals. You’ll also find CBD for cats and dogs in a wide range of potencies, to cater to the vast variety of pet sizes — a chihuahua is not going to get the same dose of CBD as an Irish wolfhound.
Our pets are family, so we know you’re only going to accept the best CBD pet supplements. Therefore, we researched some of the best CBD suppliers to find the most trustworthy cat and dog CBD products that can help support the health and well-being of your pet.
Best Overall CBD for Pets: Honest Paws Well CBD Oil Tincture
Best Tasting CBD for Pets: FOCL CBD Pet Drops
Best Topical CBD for Pets: Penelope’s Bloom Pet CBD Balm
Best CBD for Aging Pets: Mission Farms Pet CBD Oil
Most Affordable CBD for Pets: Joy Organics CBD Oil Tincture for Dogs, Cats and Pets
Benefits of CBD for Dogs and Cats
Cats and dogs have an endocannabinoid system that is similar to that of humans. Therefore, it’s believed that like in humans, CBD interacts with cannabinoid receptors in cats and dogs to help regulate several key body systems.
Although there is currently little research on the effects of CBD on dogs and cats, studies have shown several potential benefits for giving your pet a CBD supplement, including:
Calming anxiety, including separation anxiety
Easing joint pain and improving mobility
Soothing skin irritation
Calming allergy symptoms
Reducing the severity and frequency of seizures
Reducing the need for prescription medications, which can have unpleasant side effects
Pet owners are drawn to CBD pet supplements as they are typically made with all-natural ingredients and are free of additives and impurities, making them suitable for even the most sensitive of fluffy tummies.
Calming Anxiety
If your dog or cat is suffering from anxiety, CBD can help restore a sense of calm to your beloved pet - no more shredded furniture and no more being unable to leave the house.
When administered orally, the calming benefits of CBD can take effect in as little as 10 to 20 minutes to help your pet cope with everyday stressors, such as being left alone, strangers, loud noises and more.
Even better, the effects of CBD on anxiety improve over time. Therefore, giving your anxious pet a daily dose of CBD can have a long-term benefit on your pet’s overall well-being.
Improving Pain and Mobility
Stiff and painful joints can impact your pet’s quality of life by causing them significant discomfort and impaired mobility. CBD is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can help reduce swelling in the joints, easing stiffness and pain for more mobile pets.
Plus, the side effects of CBD are typically minimal, so it can be administered to your pet long-term without having to worry about the potential kidney and liver damage of prescription pain medications.
Easing Aches and Pains
Just like us, as our pets age, they experience everyday aches and pains, which sometimes make it hard for them to enjoy life to the full. Put back a spring back in your pet’s steps with a CBD supplement.
CBD binds to endocannabinoid receptors in your pet’s nervous system to reduce inflammation and change the way they perceive pain, making them feel much happier.
Reducing Seizures
While more research is needed, studies have shown CBD has promise in the treatment of epilepsy in cats and dogs. A clinical trial at Colorado State University found that 89% of dogs suffering from epilepsy experienced fewer seizures following treatment with CBD.
Best CBD for Pets in 2024
Best Overall CBD for Pets: Honest Paws Well CBD Oil Tincture
Pros:
Full-spectrum hemp extract
Simple formulation
30-day money-back guarantee
Specs:
Size: 30 mL
Strength: 125mg, 250mg, 500g, or 1,000mg of CBD per bottle
Flavor: Unflavored
If you’ve noticed your pet seems to be more anxious, less alert, or experiencing more allergies, it could be the result of a slowing immune system. The Well CBD Oil Tincture from Honest Paws with its full-spectrum CBD extract may help support your pet's immune system, as well as promote calmer moods and healthier brain function.
The formulation consists of just two ingredients — organic full-spectrum CBD and organic MCT oil — meaning it’s likely to be well-tolerated by the most sensitive furry tummies. It is unflavored, so fussy pets may not like the natural slightly bitter taste of hemp oil, but you can add it to your pet’s food or water without it affecting the flavor too much.
The CBD tincture is available in four potencies, so there is an option for pets of all shapes and sizes. No matter what option you choose, you can do so with peace of mind as each batch is extensively third-party tested for potency and purity. However, if you’re unhappy with the pet CBD from Honest Paws for any reason, you’re protected with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Best Tasting CBD for Pets: FOCL CBD Pet Drops
Pros:
Made with organic ingredients
THC free
Subscribe and save 20%
Specs:
Size: 30 mL
Strength: 300mg or 600mg of CBD per bottle
Flavor: Peanut butter, wild salmon, or savory chicken
Give relief to your fussy pets with one of the delicious-tasting CBD Pet Drops from FOCL. With three flavor options — peanut butter, wild salmon and savory chicken — your pet will be excited to take their daily dose of CBD.
Not only do the CBD Pet Drops taste good, but they also do good, potentially supporting calm and relief when your four-legged friends need it most. The human-grade pet CBD supplement is made with organic ingredients and is THC, as well as being non-GMO and vegan.
The pet CBD oil is available in two potencies and the graduated dropper and detailed dosage instructions make it easy to give your pet the right dose, no matter their size.
FOCL sends each batch of its CBD Pet Drops off for third-party testing. This ensures that the potency of CBD is as advertised and that the oil is free of contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, solvents and potentially harmful microbes.
Best Topical CBD for Pets: Penelope’s Bloom Pet CBD Balm
Pros:
All natural ingredients
Nourishing plant extracts and oils
Independently lab tested
Specs:
Size: 1oz or 2oz
Strength: 150mg or 300mg of CBD per tub
Flavor: N/A
No one likes to see their dog or cat suffering from itchy or irritated skin. Ease their discomfort and promote better overall skin health with the Pet CBD Balm from Penelope’s Bloom. The daily moisturizer contains organic full-spectrum CBD, which can help soothe cracked and irritated skin, while also providing some target pain relief.
The all-natural formulation also includes shea butter and is infused with essential oils like jojoba and lavender. These help to nourish and moisturize, keeping your pet’s skin, nose and paws deeply hydrated. The balm also has an anti-bacterial action, helping to prevent infection when your pet suffers a rash, insect bites and other skin issues.
Choose between two concentrations, 150mg or 300mg of CBD. The tinted glass containers keep the balm fresh and prevent the CBD from degrading, making the product last longer. The results of third-party testing verify the potency and purity of the pet balm so you can use it every day without concern.
Best CBD for Aging Pets: Mission Farms Pet CBD Oil
Pros:
Organic CBD
Simple, natural formulation
Subscribe and save 25%
Specs:
Size: 30 mL
Strength: 600mg of CBD per bottle
Flavor: Beef jerky
The full-spectrum CBD of the Pet CBD Oil of Mission Farms can act as a powerful inflammatory agent to help improve the mobility of your older pets. Furthermore, it may increase the availability of a compound known as anandamide, which is produced in the body to ease discomfort. Furthermore, CBD may ease anxiety by interacting with the serotonin receptors in your pet’s brain.
Even the most picky of pets are likely to lap up the beef jerky taste, which is derived from natural and organic flavors. The formulation also includes organic MCT coconut oil, which bonds to CBD increasing its bioavailability and absorption for maximum benefits.
Mission Farms extract CBD from domestically-grown hemp plants. It is farmed organically and is free of pesticides, heavy metals, solvents and microbes. This is confirmed with independent lab testing, with the results being easily available on the Mission Farms website.
Most Affordable CBD for Pets: Joy Organics CBD Oil Tincture for Dogs, Cats and Pets
Pros:
Simply two-ingredient formulation
Third-party lab tested
Subscribe and save 30%
Specs:
Size: 30ml
Strength: 450 mg or 900mg of CBD pet bottle
Flavor: Unflavored
Looking for something simple? You can’t get much more simple than the Organic CBD Oil Tincture for Pets from Joy Organics. The USDA-certified CBD oil contains just two ingredients: organic olive oil and organic broad-spectrum hemp extract. The formulation has been specially crafted to provide your pet with all the mind and body benefits of CBD with no detectable THC.
By using broad-spectrum CBD, the pet oil contains not only CBD but other powerful terpenes and cannabinoids, which may amplify the overall benefits.
Joy Organics offers excellent value for money when you sign up for a subscription, saving 30% on each bottle. Plus, if you’re not happy for whatever reason you can cancel your subscription at any time and get a full refund with a 90-day money-back guarantee.
How We Picked the Best CBD Products for Pets
Not all CBD pet supplements are created equally, so we took the time to research dozens of premium CBD brands to identify only the finest pet CBD.
Production Process
The manufacturing process can have a big impact on the overall quality and safety of a pet CBD product. We checked to make sure brands manufactured their products in facilities that are cGMP (current good manufacturing practices) compliant, as this ensures proper and safe manufacturing procedures are followed.
The method of CBD extraction can also impact the quality and purity of the end product. There are two primary extraction methods: CO2 extraction and solvent extraction. We favored brands that use the CO2 method as solvent extraction, which can result in residual solvents - like butane or propane - in the hemp oil, both of which are toxic to dogs.
CO2 extraction, by contrast, is a completely clean process where CBD is extracted from the hemp plant in a high-pressure CO2 chamber. This results in hemp oil with a higher concentration of CBD without the risk of toxins.
Reviews
Real customer reviews are an excellent source of information when it comes to brand reputation and the effectiveness of a pet CBD supplement.
We read through dozens of verified reviews for each pet CBD product we considered to see how well tolerated they were by pets, the benefits pet owners observed and insights into customer service. Only CBD pet supplements with the best reviews made it onto our list.
Testing
It’s important that a CBD brand can verify the potency and purity of its pet CBD supplements via independent lab testing. This helps ensure that we are only recommending pet CBD products that are safe for your furry friends. The results of testing should be easily available to customers in the form of a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) that shows:
The potency of CBD is as advertised
Analysis and potency of minor cannabinoids and terpenes
The content of THC does not exceed the legal limit of 0.3%
The product is free of toxins and impurities such as heavy metals, solvents, pesticides and potentially harmful microbes
Quality Ingredients
Man’s best friend deserves the best CBD supplement. Therefore, we made sure we’re only recommending products made from the finest quality ingredients. We favored brands that extract their CBD from domestically and organically grown hemp plants, as this guarantees a non-GMO and pesticide-free hemp oil.
Furthermore, as we know some fluffy tummies can be particularly sensitive, we only chose pet CBD supplements that have all-natural and organic formulations to minimize the risk of adverse reactions.
What to Look For When Buying CBD for Dogs and Cats
Each pet is different, but there are a few general factors to keep in mind when buying CBD for cats and dogs.
Potency
CBD pet supplements come in a wide range of potencies and the dose you give your cat or dog is dependent on their size:
Low Dose: 1mg CBD for each 10lb of bodyweight
Medium Dose: 3mg CBD for each 10lb of bodyweight
Strong Dose: 5mg CBD for each 10 lb of bodyweight
Form
CBD pet supplements come in a variety of forms. If you want something quick acting and easy to administer, CBD oil is a good choice - it can be delivered directly under the tongue or added to your pet’s food.
For a reliable dosage and relief on the go, CBD pet treats provide a convenient way to administer CBD along with a precise dose. Furthermore, if you have a picky pet, CBD pet treats come in a large selection of mouthwatering flavors.
If localized pain and skin complaints are causing your pet discomfort, a topical CBD balm or cream can provide targeted relief right where your furry friend needs it.
Flavor
Some pets might be happy enough with the natural earthy taste of CBD. However, if they are on the more fussy side, look for a CBD pet oil or a CBD pet treat that is naturally flavored in something your pet loves. You’ll find pet CBD products in a wide variety of flavors, including chicken, beef, salmon and even peanut butter.
Price
While it’s hard to truly determine if a pet CBD product offers good value for money, we advise using caution if the price of a supplement seems too good to be true. Low-priced products may contain low-quality CBD, as well as artificial ingredients and fillers. Therefore, you should always check the ingredient list - if the formulation is simple and comprises only natural ingredients, you’ll know you’re paying for quality.
Potential Side Effects of CBD for Pets
While more research is needed on the side effects of CBD in pets, we can hypothesize that CBD is likely to have potential side effects similar to those in humans. These include:
Drowsiness and general lethargy, which could indicate a too-large dose of CBD
Dry mouth, which can impact dental health in the long term
Low blood pressure may lead to temporary light-headedness in your pet
Digestive issues, such as diarrhea and vomiting, particularly in pets new to CBD
Overactive appetite
In rare cases, seizures and impaired cognitive function
CBD is typically considered to be safe for cats and dogs, but you can minimize the risk of side effects by starting with a low dose and following the manufacturer’s dosage instructions.
FAQs:
Is CBD legal?
Yes, CBD is legal on the federal level, however, state laws may vary. Therefore it’s wise to check the laws in your state before purchasing.
Can I give my pet CBD every day?
Absolutely! Giving your pet CBD daily can help improve their anxiety, pain and skin issues over the long term. Just make sure that you start with a low dosage and stick to daily dosage recommendations.
Can I give my pet my own CBD?
While CBD is safe for pets and humans, you shouldn’t give your pet your CBD. You can’t be sure how your pet will react to your CBD as dosages vary. Plus, some of the ingredients may not be safe for pets to consume. Therefore, we recommend using CBD products specially formulated for pets.
What’s the easiest way to give my pet CBD?
That depends on your pet. If your pet isn’t fussy, you should find squirting CBD oil into their mouth the easiest way, plus it will have faster benefits as the CBD enters the bloodstream directly via the blood vessels under the tongue.
If your pet is on the fussy side, you might want to add CBD oil to their food or consider a CBD pet treat that's flavored with one of their favorites, like chicken or peanut butter.
In Conclusion
By now, you probably know about the numerous potential benefits of CBD in humans and early research is showing that the hemp extract can have similar benefits in our pets.
A pet CBD supplement may help ease stiff joints to improve mobility, provide localized pain relief for everyday aches and pains, promote calm in pets with separation anxiety and soothe irritated and dry skin.
Pet CBD products come in a variety of forms including oils, treats and topical, with potencies available for pets in all shapes and sizes.
Before you start giving your pet a CBD supplement, check with your vet, particularly if your furry friend has any pre-existing conditions or is taking prescription medications.
