The 7 Best Hemp Oils For Dogs Australia: Tested & Evaluated 2024
Written By Olivia De Santos | Canine Coach, Professional Writer & Video Content Creator.
Edited & Fact Checked By Renae Soppe | Double B.A Journalism & Science.
Last Updated: 18th January 2024
So you’ve heard that hemp oil could be the miracle tonic to calm or crazy dog? Or maybe it could be the salve to aching and inflamed joints. Today we’re going to discover the truth about dog hemp oil. We’ll discuss what hemp oil is, what the benefits of hemp oil are and the best hemp oil for dogs on the Australian market.
Quick disclaimer: If in doubt, consult your vet before giving your dog any hemp oil. I am not a veterinarian, just a dog enthusiast!
Australia's Best Dog Hemp Oil Reviewed
Now we know exactly what to look for when shopping for hemp oil for dogs, let’s take a look at the best options on the Australian market today.
#1: Best Overall: Hemp Pet Hemp Nectar
What sets this product apart from the rest?
If you’re looking for hemp seed oil from an Australian brand at an excellent price point and with top reviews, the Hemp Pet hemp oil is a winner.
The oil is cold pressed from hemp seed and infused with extra nutrients for boosted benefits. The high-quality oil is perfect for supporting your dog’s mobility and immune system.
The dosage depends on your dog’s weight. You can give them 1-5ml mixed with their food. The pack comes with a syringe to help you be precise.
Hemp Pet has other hemp oil blends with fish oil and MCT oil if you’d like to explore the rest of the range. But for pure, raw hemp seed oil, this is an excellent choice!
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#2: Runner-up: Hempooch Hemp Seed Oil
Another great option from Australia is the Hempooch Hemp Seed Oil.
It’s an organic hemp oil manufactured in Australia to the highest quality. There are no preservatives or additions. Just 100% of the good stuff!
The cap is a dropper that helps you give the correct dosage to your dog. Dogs under 10kg can have ½ dropper. Dogs between 10-24kg can have 1 full dropper. Dogs over 24kg can have 2 full droppers.
As for taste, there’s no added flavour but Hempooch is proud to say it tastes good enough for their dogs to lick straight off the spoon. That said, I recommend mixing it into food just to make it easier.
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#3: Best Hemp Oil Capsules: Hempooch Hemp Seed Oil Soft Gel Capsules
If your dog dislikes the taste of hemp oil, they’re not alone! Hemp oil tastes a bit herby if not cloaked with any flavouring agents. That said, most hemp seed oil for dogs available in Australia is not flavoured because most Aussie brands prefer to sell organic, pure oil.
So what if you want the benefits of hemp oil but your dog hates the taste?
Capsules are worth a try if your dog can’t stand hemp oil on its own. Enter the Hempooch soft gel capsules.
They contain Hempooch’s signature pure, organic, Australian-made hemp oil but cloaks it in an easy capsule. You can place the capsule at the back of your dog’s throat and ease it down until your dog swallows. Or you could coat it in peanut butter and give it to your dog that way.
Either way, they shouldn’t be able to taste the hemp while still getting the anti-inflammatory and immunity-boosting benefits.
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#4: Best Hemp Oil For Immune Support: 100% Raw Hemp Seed & Flax For Pets
If immune support is the main draw, the hemp seed and flax oil blend from Buddy Pet is a great choice.
Packed with omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, this supplement oil is an absolute powerhouse for your dog.
The blend contains all 20 amino acids and plenty of minerals that boost your dog’s immune system.
The hemp oil helps improve mobility and anxiety symptoms. Flax seed oil reduces the chances of cancer, maintains a good digestive system and even helps with skin health (specifically eczema, rashes and other skin sensitivities). (6)
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#5: Best Anti-Inflammatory Hemp Oil: HunterCo Natural Organic Australian Hemp & Turmeric Oil for Dogs
If your dog has arthritis or any other inflammatory issues, this hemp and turmeric oil blend by HunterCo is the perfect choice for your pup.
We know that hemp seed oil has omega-3 fatty acids and calming effects. So what can turmeric and black pepper do to help with inflammation?
Turmeric is well known to be an excellent spice for aching joints and mobility issues. It’s also soothing for digestive inflammation such as inflammatory bowel syndrome in dogs. Black pepper has antioxidants and together they create a powerful blend.
The hemp seed oil is the main component of the oil blend with turmeric and black pepper accounting for only 5%.
Given that this oil has no flavour agents, the addition of turmeric makes the oil a little tastier than regular hemp oil.
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#6: Best Multifunctional Hemp Oil: Zesty Paws Alaskan Salmon Oil with Hemp for Dogs
Fish oil and hemp oil blends are very popular as multifunctional supplements. Zesty Paws makes a great product if this is something you’re looking for.
Made with Alaskan salmon oil and 100% organic hemp seeds, this supplement oil provides health benefits all around. It soothes irritated skin by boosting skin health from the inside out. The complex mix of minerals, vitamins and fatty acids found in hemp and fish oil support mobility and heart health. This is an excellent all-around supplement oil for dogs of all ages and sizes.
The Zesty Paws Alaskan Salmon Oil with Hemp for Dogs being tested by our independent expert team.
Best of all, your dog will adore the taste of this oil. Fish oil in general tends to have a nicer taste than hemp oil.
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#7: Best Hemp Treats: Hemp Pet New Zealand Hoki Fish Hemp Infused Treats for Dogs
Finally, what if your dog just doesn’t get on with oil or capsules at all? Try hemp oil treats for dogs!
Hemp Pet creates hemp oil-infused treats for dogs that promise to deliver the benefits of hemp oil but in a tastier package.
The treats also include fish oil for added vitamins and omega acids.
The con is that you need to give your dog a lot of treats to get the benefits of hemp. For small dogs, it’s not too bad with 2 to 3 treats. But large dogs need 5 to 8 treats to get the full benefits of the hemp oil. So the hemp oil drops may be more cost-effective.
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What Is Hemp Oil Made For Dogs?
Hemp is a term used for the cannabis plant that is often used for medicinal purposes.
But wait, cannabis?
I hear you gasp dear reader but don’t worry! Hemp and marijuana are distinct from each other.
So first, hemp and marijuana are legal terms as opposed to scientific ones. They are the exact same plant. They are just cultivated and processed differently.
The big difference between the two is the CBD and THC content.
THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is one of the cannabinoids in cannabis. That’s the stuff that makes people high when smoking marijuana.
Hemp is different.
“The term “hemp” is used to mean cannabis that contains 0.3 per cent or less THC content by dry weight.” - writes Jeffrey Chen, MD, Healthline (1)
So to summarise, hemp and marijuana come from the same plant but hemp is cultivated with less than 0.3% THC and marijuana is more than 0.3% THC.
What Is The Difference Between Hemp Oil and CBD Oil?
Another confusing part of shopping for hemp oil is CBD oil. What on earth is that? What is the true difference? Let’s break it down.
CBD or cannabidiol and hemp oil come from the same plant.
The difference is from which parts of the plant the oil is derived.
CBD oil is pressed from the stalk, leaves and flowers of the hemp plant. So it’s in very high concentration.
Hemp oil is pressed from the seeds of the hemp plant. (2)
Technically all parts of the cannabis plant contain CBD oil but hemp seed oil has the least amount of CBD oil.
What Benefits Do Dogs Get From Hemp Oil?
Hemp oil has a slew of benefits for our canine friends. (3) Here are the highlights:
The best candidates for hemp oil would be arthritic dogs and any dogs with inflammation issues. (5)
What To Consider When Buying Dog Hemp Seed Oil
So you’re sold on buying some hemp oil for your pup. How do you find the best one? These are the criteria we recommend.
Is the hemp oil formulated for dogs?
Of course, you don’t want to cause your dog any harm! There isn’t a huge difference between hemp oil for humans and hemp oil for dogs but it’s worth being safe and choosing a canine or animal formulation. Dog hemp oil has less CBD in it than hemp oil for humans may have. If you’re lucky, you can also find flavoured hemp oil for dogs which makes the herby taste of hemp.
How pure is the hemp oil?
Make sure the label has pressed hemp seed oil as the top ingredient. If the product is marketed as hemp oil only, the contents should be 100% organic hemp oil. If it matters to you where the oil is manufactured and pressed, check the label or product description for these details too. If there are other inclusions such as fish oil or turmeric, hemp oil should still be the principal ingredient and therefore the highest listed o the ingredient list. Speaking of inclusions…
Do you want a multi-supplement oil?
If you’re reading this article, the hemp element is the most important part. But some of us like a one-product solution to multiple issues. Why buy three products when you can buy one?
You might be attracted to hemp seed oil for its anti-inflammatory properties. So why not supercharge the effects with a turmeric blend that has anti-inflammatory benefits too? If you want to boost your dog’s immune system and create a glowing healthy coat, fish oil/omega 3 oil is an excellent addition too.
My Final Say
The best all-rounder is the Hemp Pet oil. It has excellent reviews that attest to how effective it is at soothing your dog’s anxiety, joint pain and inflammation.
For a more multi-pronged approach to your dog’s health, the Zesty Paws Salmon Oil and Hemp blend is a great choice. However, it is on the pricier side!
I hope this article helped you understand the benefits of hemp oil for dogs and the best options out there.
FAQ
Although hemp is a type of cannabis plant, it has little THC. THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the stuff that makes you high. You may notice that hemp oil can have a calming effect but this is different from that faded feeling that THC creates. Any hemp oil formulated for dogs won’t have any psychoactive effects.
Hemp oil is considered safe for dogs. However, it’s worth noting that the hemp oil/CBD oil craze is relatively new. Mainstream products made from hemp blossomed in 2018. While there are studies on the suitability of hemp oil for dogs, these studies are mostly from 2019 onwards. Therefore we don’t have a lot of data on the long-term effects of hemp oil on dogs. That said, you are giving your dog so little that it’s unlikely to cause any ill effects. There’s a chance that your dog may be allergic to hemp oil but you will be able to test this on their skin before giving it to them to see if there are any reactions.
References:
- Chen, J. August 27, 2020. “Hemp vs. Marijuana: What’s the Difference?”. Healthline. Retrieved October 26, 2022. https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-vs-marijuana
- Caporuscio, J. June 8, 2020. “What is the difference between hemp seed oil and CBD oil?”. Medical News Today. Retrieved October 26, 2022. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hemp-seed-oil-vs-cbd-oil
- Keenan, J. February 10, 2022. “Hemp Seed Vs Hemp Oil For Dogs”. Dogs Naturally Magazine. Retrieved October 26, 2022. https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/hemp-for-dogs-should-you-use-it/#benefits-of-hemp-oil-for-dogs
- Lewis, T. May 5, 2019. “CBD: a marijuana miracle or just another health fad?”. The Guardian. Retrieved October 26, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/05/cbd-a-marijuana-miracle-or-another-health-fad-cannabidiol-anxiety-epilepsy
- Helmer, J. February 3, 2021. “Hemp Oil for Dogs: Benefits and Uses”. Great Pet Care. Retrieved October 26, 2022. https://www.greatpetcare.com/wellness/hemp-oil-for-dogs/