How to Give CBD Oil to Dogs: A Step-By-Step Guide
Date Published: 2019-10-06
Date Updated: 2019-12-17
CBD oil has a number of benefits for dogs, such as relieving pain and reducing seizures. Unfortunately, administering CBD oil to your four-legged friend isn’t always easy.
Dogs are smart animals. They often know when they’re about to get medicine – and many of them don’t like it at all. For many of us, getting our pooch to take medicine is an uphill battle.
So, if your dog is fussy, you’ll benefit from reading this guide to giving your dog CBD oil. It includes step-by-step instructions on how to drop CBD into your dog’s mouth, as well as a list of other useful methods.
How to drop CBD into your dog’s mouth
This first method can be complicated and difficult if you’ve never used a dropper to give your dog medicine. Here’s a five-step method of dropping CBD into your dog’s mouth.
Step 1: Work out how many milliliters your dog needs.
As with all kinds of medicine or supplements, dosage is important.
To work out how much CBD to give your dog, you first need to work out how much CBD they need. We have a handy CBD dosage chart for dogs. You should ideally talk to your vet, who should be able to tell you what dosage to use.
If the packaging says that there is 150mg in a 10ml bottle, there is 15mg in every 1ml.
Miligrams ÷ mililiters = number of mg per 1ml
If your dog needs 15mg of CBD per day, give them 1ml of CBD oil.
Step 2: Add the drops to a small plastic syringe.
Most CBD oil brands sell the oil with droppers. While you can use the dropper to squeeze a few drops into your dog’s mouth, there are a few issues with the droppers.
Firstly, most of them are made of glass. If your dog gnashes their teeth, they can break it in their mouth. Secondly, the droppers don’t have gradients telling you exactly how many milliliters is in each drop.
A plastic syringe with the gradients on the side can be useful, as you’ll know exactly how much CBD you’re giving your dog. You get small syringes that contain 1ml in total, which can be helpful for administering small doses.
However, if your dog usually behaves well when you drop medicine into their mouth, and if you’re confident you know how many drops to give your pup, you can use the dropper.
Step 3: Get your dog to sit in front of you.
With your syringe at the ready, get your dog to sit in front of you. You may want to give them a treat so that they’re calmer and happier when you start giving them medicine.
Step 4: Get them to open their mouth.
While some dogs open their mouths on command, others might need a little coaxing. Massaging the sides of your pup’s mouth could help.
Step 5: Drop the CBD into their mouth.
The best place to drop the CBD is just under the tongue. There are tiny capilaries under the tongue, and the CBD can be absorbed straight into the bloodstream from there. This helps it act faster.
However, anywhere in the mouth is fine! It will get into your dog’s bloodstream eventually.
Step 6: Give your dog a treat and some cuddles.
Administering CBD is never a once-off thing – you’ll probably have to do it once a day for a while before you see results.
So, it’s important to make it a pleasant and fun experience for your dog. Rewarding them for taking the medicine will help them behave better in future. Be sure to give them their favorite dog treat, some snuggles, and lots of praise.
Other methods
If your dog isn’t a fan of the dropper, that’s okay! There are many different ways to give your dog CBD oil. Here are a few of the best methods.
Add the drops to your dog’s food. Dogs love to eat, and most of them will guzzle any medicine that’s in their food. However, some pickier dogs do pick up the smell and avoid it. Still, this method is worth trying as it’s the easiest way to give your dog CBD.
Give them a CBD-enriched dog treat. Many companies make CBD-enriched dog treats. The packaging should state exactly how much CBD is in each treat so that you can see exactly how much CBD your dog is getting. Many dogs prefer this to the drops. You can even make your own CBD dog treats.
Add the drops to a treat like peanut butter. Mix the CBD oil into a generous spoonful of peanut butter, or add a few drops to their favorite treats. You could let some drops soak into a dog biscuit, or add it to a chicken dinner.
Use CBD capsules or tablets. Some dogs are okay with taking capsules or tablets, but not with droppers or syringes. CBD capsules are available for dogs, so take advantage of them if your dog is happy to swallow pills.
Try a CBD-infused topical cream for pain. If you’re trying to treat pain in a localized area, a CBD-infused topical cream might help. If your dog injured their leg, for example, you can apply the cream to the area.
How should I give my dog CBD?
Every dog is different, and the way you administer CBD to your dog depends on their needs and behavior. You may have to train your dog to behave while you give them the oil. You might also have to experiment with a few different methods to find the best way to give your dog CBD.
No matter how you give your dog CBD oil, it’s important to use a high-quality brand of CBD. It’s also best to talk to your vet before giving your dog CBD or any other medication or supplement.