CBD Dosage For Dogs: Clearing Up The Confusion
Choosing the correct CBD dose for your dog can be pretty confusing. First of all, each company’s dosing guidelines can vary widely because the concentration of CBD varies in the oils they produce.
The dosage can also differ depending on the condition you’re trying to treat. For example, higher doses are typically recommended for more serious health conditions and lower doses for occasional anxiety or general well-being.
And of course, you have your dog’s weight and underlying health issues to take into consideration.
Benefits Of CBD Oil For Dogs
Before diving into dosing guidelines, here are some of the health conditions that CBD can help treat in your dog.
- Anxiety and stress
- Moderate to severe pain
- Chronic inflammation
- Arthritis & joint pain
- Epileptic seizures
- Digestion problems
- Nausea
- Symptoms from cancer
How Much CBD Oil Should I Give My Dog?
The best advice we can give you is to start small and then ease into the manufacturer’s dosing guidelines for their specific products. Companies that formulate their own high-quality CBD typically give you very detailed instructions on how to dose their various products. But not all do, so it can be helpful to know how to calculate optimal CBD dosages.
Calculating CBD Oil Dosages For Medicinal Use
If you’re planning on using CBD oil for medicinal purposes, e.g., to treat arthritis pain or ease seizures, here’s how to calculate a safe and effective dosage for your pet. First, you need to calculate approximately how many milligrams (mg) of CBD your dog should have based on his weight. A safe rule of thumb is 0.2mg of CBD per pound. So, if your dog weighs 25 pounds, you’ll give him 5mg of CBD.
Then, you need to calculate how much oil you should give your dog based on how many milligrams (mg) of CBD is in each milliliter (ml) of oil. This will depend on the formula strength you’re using.
Here are some common formula strengths and how much CBD is in each:
- 75mg formula=2.5mg of CBD per ml of oil
- 150mg formula=5mg of CBD per ml of oil
- 300mg formula=10mg of CBD per ml of oil
- 600mg formula=20mg of CBD per ml of oil
So for a 25-pound pet who needs 5mg of CBD, you’d give him 2ml of the 75mg formula, 1ml of the 150mg formula, 0.5ml of the 300mg formula. We would not recommend using the 600mg formula on small pets due to the difficulty in administering 0.25ml with the oral syringe most companies provide.
How To Determine CBD Oil Dosage For General Well-Being
If you’re using CBD oil for general well-being, your dog may not need this higher dosage level. You can always cut down the dosage if you want.
CBD Dosing Example
Even with all this information, it’s hard to picture what actual dosing guidelines look like from different companies. Here, we’ve included what King Kanine, a company that specializes in high-quality CBD oils and treats for pets, recommends when dosing their pet CBD products. King Kanine’s dosage guidelines apply to both dogs and cats.
First, you have to choose the formula based on your pet’s weight. This is the concentration of CBD in each bottle. King Kanine offers three formulas: 75mg, 150mg and 300mg. Each formula bottle contains 30ml of oil. (King Kanine’s CBD is suspended in krill oil, but the type of oil varies by company.)
King Kanine Formula Recommendations
- Small-sized pet 20 lbs & under: 75mg bottle (approximately 2.5mg of CBD/1ml)
- Medium-sized pet 21-50 lbs: 150mg bottle (approximately 5mg of CBD/1ml)
- Large-sized pet 51-75 lbs: 300mg bottle (approximately 10mg of CBD/1ml)
- Extra Large-sized pet over 75 lbs: 600mg bottle (approximately 20mg of CBD/1ml)
What About CBD Dog Treats?
If you purchase CBD dog treats from a reputable company, they’ll give you serving size suggestions based on your dog’s weight. But you can still use the calculation method above to determine how many King Kanine treats will be effective for your pup.
What Are The Best CBD Oil & Treats For Dogs?
Finding the right dosage of any medication is crucial for your dog since their systems are more sensitive than humans. But the encouraging news about CBD (if you buy a high-quality product), is that pure CBD is non-toxic for dogs. And there don’t appear to be any harmful side effects from using this all-natural remedy, even on a regular basis.