Vet CBD Dosing Chart & Calculator

Vet CBD Dosing Chart

It’s important to note that no official guidelines currently exist to guide you toward the correct dosage of CBD for pets. However, by accounting for your pet’s health and weight, it is possible to arrive at a good rule of thumb.

Also, it’s important to speak to a vet before giving CBD to your pet. This is to ensure there will be no conflict with other medications or with a health issue your pet is experiencing. Even though CBD is widely considered very safe, you should administer it with care. It’s always important to monitor your pet’s reaction after administration.

The main factors to consider before deciding on a dose are your pet’s weight, how concentrated the CBD oil is, and how healthy they are. The general rule of thumb is 0.2 mg (that’s ⅕ of a milligram) of CBD oil per 10 pounds of their weight.

If your pet is 50 pounds, you could give them 10 mg as a dose.

However, it’s always advisable to start lower and work up incrementally until you see the desired results. Use the following table to guide you towards a starting dosage for your pet:

Weight (pounds)

Recommended Dosage

• 4-10
  • 5 mL
• 10-25
  • 0 mL
• 25-50
  • 5 mL
• 50-75
  • 0 mL
• 75-100
  • 0 mL
• 100-120
  • 0 mL
• 120 and above
  • 0 mL

If you don’t see sufficient results, simply increase the dosage by small increments each week until you reach the desired effect.

What is Pet CBD?

CBD is a non-psychoactive compound found in hemp, a member of the cannabis family. Unlike THC, which is present in marijuana plants, CBD does not create a high and will not affect pets’ acuity or motor function in a negative way.

CBD is extracted from hemp plants in several ways: as an isolated compound, in a broad spectrum of other cannabinoids, or in a full-spectrum oil that contains all cannabinoids present in the plant in their original proportions. Hemp CBD must legally contain 0.3% or less THC.

Interestingly, there appears to be a benefit to using CBD in combination with other cannabinoids. This is known as the entourage effect. The beneficial effects of CBD (reducing physical pain, emotional stress, etc.) appear to be amplified when other cannabinoids are present, rather than when the CBD alone is present. For this reason, you may choose to administer full- or broad-spectrum oil as opposed to a CBD isolate.

Why Give Pets CBD?

As an all-natural solution, it is completely free of artificial ingredients and lab-created chemical compounds. CBD is safe and has a low rate of side effects.

There are many benefits your pet could experience from CBD, including:

Healthier Joints

According to Forbes, CBD may help pets with arthritis or joint pain by relieving their symptoms and reducing inflammation. At least 20% of dogs experience canine osteoarthritis, a painful inflammatory condition, as they get older.

The effects of this condition are easy to spot. Pets are stiffer in their movements, less mobile, experience more pain, and are more lethargic. It can also make them more irritable and likely to snap at other dogs or children.

Better Brain Function

Dogs, like humans, have an endocannabinoid system that governs animal responses to appetite, sleep, mood, stress, and more. CBD interacts with endocannabinoid receptors, creating a positive effect on multiple aspects of mental function. This cannabinoid has a modulatory effect on brain activity, supporting the connection of neural pathways in systems related to anxiety and psychosis.

Dogs given CBD may show better memory, overall brain health, and responses — particularly since dogs’ brains have more extensive endocannabinoid receptors than our own.

A Healthier Digestive System

Pets that suffer from irritable bowels, frequent vomiting, or nausea could benefit greatly from CBD. It has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of bowel symptoms in humans and animals alike. If you notice your pet has had chronic GI tract troubles or has developed them with age, it’s worth giving CBD a try.

A Calmer Mental State

Pet anxiety is a real problem for animals and owners alike. Anxious pets can act out their stress by destroying furniture, making loud noises, and exhibiting restless behavior. They can even harm themselves and their owners due to anxiety and stress.

CBD can calm anxious behaviors and help your pet relax. It is worth trying for a range of pet stress syndromes, including separation anxiety.

Is CBD Safe?

Yes, CBD is safe and well-tolerated in animals and humans alike. Generally, pets will start to experience the effects of CBD oil within 1 or 2 hours, and any side effects — usually mild ones like diarrhea — will become apparent in this timeframe too.

Is CBD Legal?

Yes, CBD and hemp are legal in the United States and many other countries worldwide. It is legal to administer CBD to your pets without a veterinary prescription. If you are traveling across an international border, make sure to check the laws of the destination country as well as the laws surrounding transit between them.

The Best Way to Give Pets CBD

You can give your pet CBD orally with an oil dropper. This is generally the easiest way to get them to ingest CBD, as well as the most effective. CBD oil absorbs into the sublingual area of their mouths and into their bloodstream, delivering effects much more quickly than edible CBD.