CBD LoveThe independent Australian guideSearch

CBD for pets in Australia: the law and the evidence

No CBD product is registered for animals in Australia. A vet may prescribe CBD-only products in limited cases, and the evidence in dogs and cats is thin.

Facts checked 13 November 20266 min readHow we research

In Australia, CBD for a pet is lawful only when a veterinarian prescribes it. No CBD or cannabis product is known to be registered as a veterinary medicine, and the research in animals is small and mixed.1 Products containing meaningful THC are not allowed for animals at all.1

Sources on pet CBD often contradict each other. This page states only what we could trace to a regulator, a veterinary body or a published trial, and says where we could not confirm something.

Is any CBD product approved for animals?

Not according to the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA). Its policy, ratified on 20 July 2023, says: “To date the APVMA has not approved any medicinal cannabis products for use in animals.”1

The APVMA is the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, which registers veterinary medicines. We did not check its product database ourselves, so we cannot confirm the position as of November 2026.

The APVMA’s own guidance says that “any animal or pet food product containing cannabis (including hemp, hemp oil or hemp seed oil) or cannabinoids must be registered if it meets the definition of veterinary chemical product”. It adds: “If a product has not been registered by the APVMA, or approved for use under permit, it may not be safe to use in animals.”2

Can a vet prescribe CBD?

Yes, within limits. The AVA policy sets them out.1

Product type Can a vet prescribe it?
CBD-only product (Schedule 4: CBD is 98% or more of the cannabinoids) Yes. “Veterinarians may legally prescribe medicinal cannabinoids for animals which satisfy the requirements for CBD”
CBD compounded by a pharmacy Permissible, sourced “through reputable, licenced compounding pharmacies”
Products with THC above 2% of cannabinoids (Schedule 8) No. Restricted to human prescribers
Pharmacist-only CBD (Schedule 3) No. “Schedule 8 and Schedule 3 cannabinoid products are not allowed for animals”

State veterinary boards say the same. The Veterinary Practice Board of Western Australia states that most medicinal cannabis products are Schedule 8 medicines “for human therapeutic use only” that “cannot be prescribed by veterinary surgeons”, while CBD is a Schedule 4 product that vets may prescribe.3

The AVA does not encourage it as a first choice. Its policy says that where a registered veterinary product can do the job, that product should be used, and that “there should be demonstrable benefits to justify choosing medicinal cannabinoids over the available registered medicines”.1

We do not list or recommend vets, pharmacies or products. Decisions about an animal’s treatment are for its vet.

Why is THC the main danger?

THC, the compound in cannabis that causes a high, affects animals strongly. The AVA says: “We know that animals can be psychoactively affected by THC and can suffer severe complications which may be fatal.” It concludes that “the use of THC cannot be recommended”.1

This is why human cannabis medicines, most of which contain THC, must never be given to a pet. See pet safety for the signs of THC poisoning and who to call.

Without a prescription, it may be an offence. The WA board warns that “any possession of a schedule 4 medicine without a valid prescription is an offence” and that “if clients are sourcing the oil from the internet they may be committing offences under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014”.3 That is Western Australian law. Other states have their own medicines and poisons laws.

Ordering from overseas raises a second problem. Cannabinoids are prohibited imports unless the importer holds a licence and a permit.4 See importing CBD from overseas.

There is also a quality problem. In studies of unregulated CBD products sold overseas, between 46 and 74 per cent did not match their labels, and some contained THC.56

Are pet store “hemp oil” products CBD?

No. Hemp seed oil is pressed from seeds and may contain no more than 75 mg of CBD per kilogram, which is a trace.7 It is a food oil, not CBD oil.

Whether a hemp seed pet product needs APVMA registration depends on whether it meets the legal definition of a veterinary chemical product.2 We could not confirm from the APVMA itself how it currently treats hemp seed oil supplements that make no health claims, so we do not state a position.

See CBD oil vs hemp seed oil.

What does the research show?

In short, less than the marketing suggests. All of the trials below are small.

Animal and use Our reading of the evidence Detail
Dogs, osteoarthritis Limited and conflicting Owners and vets rated pain as improved in some trials. A trial using objective gait and activity measures found no difference from placebo.89
Dogs, epilepsy Limited Two add-on trials found fewer seizures with CBD than placebo. CBD was added to existing medicines, not used in place of them.1011
Cats, any use Not enough A 2024 evidence review found no eligible study of CBD for feline osteoarthritis.12

The AVA’s own summary is that evidence on benefits is conflicting, and that “early indications suggest CBD is likely to be relatively safe in animals”, with cautious prescribing advised.1

Full detail is on the CBD for dogs and CBD for cats pages.

What should you ask your vet?

  • What registered treatments exist for this condition, and have they been tried?
  • If a cannabis product is raised, which product type is it, and does it contain any THC?
  • Will my pet need blood tests? Studies in dogs found rises in a liver-related enzyme.13
  • Could it interact with medicines my pet already takes?

The vet sets the product and the dose. This site does not give doses for animals.

Footnotes

  1. Australian Veterinary Association. Use of medicinal cannabis in animals (policy, ratified 20 July 2023). https://www.ava.com.au/policy/use-of-medicinal-cannabis-in-animals ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Cannabis in veterinary chemical products. https://www.apvma.gov.au/resources/frequently-searched-chemicals/cannabis-veterinary-chemical-products ↩ ↩2

  3. Veterinary Practice Board of Western Australia. Cannabis based products. https://vsbwa.org.au/_VSBWA/News/Articles/Cannabis_Based_Products.aspx ↩ ↩2

  4. Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956, regulation 5 and Schedule 4. https://www.legislation.gov.au/F1996B03651/latest/text ↩

  5. Johnson E, Kilgore M, Babalonis S. Label accuracy of unregulated cannabidiol (CBD) products. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9169299/ ↩

  6. Study of 202 CBD products purchased online, 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10982813/ ↩

  7. Australian Government. Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard, October 2026) Instrument 2026. https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L01327/asmade/2026-09-30/text/original/pdf ↩

  8. Gamble LJ and others. Pharmacokinetics, safety, and clinical efficacy of cannabidiol treatment in osteoarthritic dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2018. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2018.00165/full ↩

  9. Veterinary Evidence. Knowledge summary on CBD oil for canine osteoarthritis pain, including Mejia and others, 2021. https://veterinaryevidence.org/index.php/ve/article/download/701/1080?inline=1 ↩

  10. Colorado State University, via ScienceDaily. Report of McGrath and others, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2019. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190521101450.htm ↩

  11. Rozental AJ and others. The efficacy and safety of cannabidiol as adjunct treatment for drug-resistant idiopathic epilepsy in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16912 ↩

  12. Veterinary Evidence. The therapeutic effectiveness of oral cannabidiol in addition to current treatment in cats with osteoarthritis (knowledge summary), 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12710401 ↩

  13. Bradley S and others. Long-term daily feeding of cannabidiol is well-tolerated by healthy dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9533147/ ↩

Common questions

Is CBD oil legal for dogs in Australia?

Only on a vet's prescription. The Australian Veterinary Association says vets may legally prescribe cannabinoid products that meet the Schedule 4 requirements for CBD, meaning CBD makes up 98 per cent or more of the cannabinoids. No cannabis product has been registered as a veterinary medicine, according to the association's policy.

Can my vet prescribe CBD?

Yes, in limited circumstances. The Australian Veterinary Association says vets may prescribe Schedule 4 CBD products, including CBD compounded by a licensed compounding pharmacy. Schedule 8 and Schedule 3 cannabinoid products are not allowed for animals.

Are hemp seed oil pet products the same as CBD?

No. Hemp seed oil is a food oil with only a trace of CBD. The veterinary medicines regulator says any pet product containing cannabis, hemp, hemp oil or hemp seed oil must be registered if it meets the definition of a veterinary chemical product, which turns on what the product is and what it claims.

Is buying pet CBD online an offence?

It may be. The Veterinary Practice Board of Western Australia states that possessing a Schedule 4 medicine without a valid prescription is an offence, and that clients sourcing oil from the internet may be committing offences under that state's Medicines and Poisons Act. Imports of CBD are also prohibited without a licence and permit.

This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Laws and evidence change; we show the date we last checked the facts at the top of every page. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

Didn't find what you needed? Ask us a question.

Keep reading