CBD Dog treats for Anxiety: 5 products to calm your bestie

CBD can actually help your pet out with a bunch of different issues and conditions, like anxiety, trouble sleeping, pain, arthritis, mobility, and more — and it’s a great natural alternative to medications. 

So if you’re interested in trying out CBD for your dog, you’ve come to the right place. These are the best CBD dog treats you can buy. Plus, find out everything you need to know about giving CBD to your dog, from how to choose CBD treats; to potential benefits and side effects.​

Penelope’s Bloom makes CBD pet treats using only human-grade ingredients, so you’ll know they’re good for your pup.

These CBD dog treats are formulated specifically for stress and anxiety, with calming ingredients like L-theanine and chamomile extract in addition to CBD. They have a yummy sweet potato flavor that your pup will love. 

Pros:

Clear dosing instructions: These treats have very clear and easy-to-follow dosing instructions based on the weight on their site and on the product label.  Human-grade ingredients: Since these treats are made with human-grade ingredients, you’ll know they’re good for your dog.   Additional calming ingredients: Contains calming extracts like chamomile, passion flower, and valerian root

Cons:

THC: These treats are made with full spectrum CBD, and they have trace amounts of THC (0.3% or less, which is the legal limit of THC allowed in hemp in most states).

What customers say:

According to Penelope’s Bloom site, 100% of reviewers would recommend this product, and it has almost entirely five-star reviews. Reviewers love these treats, with multiple saying that they were the only ones that helped calm their pups’ anxiety.

Best Tasting CBD Dog Treats: Honest Paws Calm CBD Bites

When choosing CBD for your dog, you’ll have to research to ensure you’re getting a safe, high-quality product. 

These are some things to keep in mind while shopping for CBD pet treats:

Form: There are a variety of CBD dog products on the market, like treats, CBD oils, and topical products, so think about what would work best for your dog’s individual needs.  Type of CBD: Decide whether you want a product that contains isolates or full spectrum CBD. Full spectrum may contain trace amounts of THC. Amount of CBD: A smaller amount of CBD in treats (3 mg/treat vs. 10 mg/treat, for example) might be better for dogs who have never had CBD before so they can ease into it.  Testing: Pet products that include CBD should be tested for safety, so make sure the company you’re buying from tests their products. Look for a lab report or certificate of analysis on their site, and read the product description to see if it says it’s been tested. Check for harmful ingredients: Check the lab report to see if the product contains anything that could be bad for your dog, like contaminants or pesticides.  Make sure the product actually contains CBD: There’s a difference between products that contain hemp and ones that have CBD, so if you’re looking for CBD soft chews, check the label. Read reviews: You should take a look at the company and product reviews to see what other pet parents have said and to check if there are any serious concerns.  CBD source: The best CBD comes from local farms in the U.S. Some companies might import cheap hemp, which leads to a lower-quality product.

Before giving your dog CBD treats or any supplement, be sure to talk to your vet first. Since they’re familiar with your dog’s medical history, they’ll be able to tell you whether it’s safe to give your pup CBD (and how much you should give him).

The FDA hasn’t officially approved CBD for dogs, so there aren’t any set dosages, and not all products will contain the same amount of CBD. Because of this, it’s important to follow the directions for the product you choose. The product label or the company website should have CBD dosage instructions to give you an idea of how much your pup should have. 

And when thinking about CBD for your dog, you should know that it’s not a good idea to give him human CBD products since they can contain ingredients that are toxic to dogs (like xylitol or essential oils). They may have a greater amount of THC, which could also be dangerous for your pet. 

CBD pet products are a pretty new thing, so along with not being regulated by the FDA, there’s not a lot of info yet to say what the definitive benefits of CBD for dogs are. But research and pet parent anecdotal evidence has shown some positive effects of giving your pup CBD, such as:

Reduced anxiety Fewer seizures Pain relief Better mobility for dogs with arthritis Reduced hyperactivity in hyper dogs Better sleep Better GI tract and immune system function

While CBD is generally safe for pets, research on CBD for dogs has found that it can cause mild diarrhea in some dogs, especially if they’ve been given too much CBD. Research has also shown that CBD causes an increase in a liver enzyme, alkaline phosphatase (ALP). High ALP can indicate liver problems, so dogs taking CBD for long periods may need to monitor their liver enzymes.

Other potential side effects are similar to those in humans, such as sleepiness, and CBD might have drug interactions with some medications, but there’s not a lot of evidence to show that it does. If your dog takes any medicines, your vet can tell you if they think CBD is safe to combine with them. 

THC can be dangerous for dogs, though. If a dog has too much of the substance, he can develop THC toxicity, which means he’s high. Signs your pup has THC toxicity include drowsiness, lethargy, difficulty walking or stumbling, slow heart rate, urine incontinence, vomiting, and dilated pupils. The main concern is the possibility of going into respiratory depression. 

Your pup is highly unlikely to develop THC toxicity from pet CBD products, though, because the amount of the substance is so low. Your dog could get high from accidentally ingesting a human CBD product, like an edible or marijuana.