Honest Paws Review (2026): Is It Worth the Premium Price?
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The pet CBD market is projected to reach nearly $4 billion by 2033. In such a booming industry, marketing often outpaces medicine.
As a pet parent, you need to know if you’re paying for relief or just a high-budget ad campaign.
Honest Paws’ clean packaging and clear labels made it popular with first-time CBD buyers. But does popularity equal value?
This Honest Paws review looks at the ingredients, pricing, and customer feedback to help you decide if they’re the right choice for your pets.
What Is Honest Paws?
Honest Paws is a well-established pet wellness company that has become a household name in the CBD space. Currently, it has an estimated annual revenue of over $6 million and a widely recognized presence on Amazon and in retail stores.
Siblings Erik and Chelsea Rivera launched Honest Paws after Chelsea’s dog, Baby Rose, inspired her search for natural wellness alternatives. When they discovered the benefits of CBD For pets, the Riveras set out to make those same results accessible to families everywhere.
To verify the brand’s credibility, we looked at the specific pillars of their operation:
- USDA Organic: Unlike many competitors who claim to use organic ingredients, Honest Paws uses USDA Certified Organic hemp to make sure their sourcing meets strict federal standards.
- NASC Certified: They display the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) Quality Seal. This is a great trust signal, as it means they undergo regular audits to ensure their manufacturing processes match what’s on the label.
- Transparency: Every product comes with a QR code that links to a Certificate of Analysis (CoA). As a customer, this lets you see third-party lab results for potency and purity.
- Reputation: They currently hold an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) as a legitimate, customer-focused business.
What Does Honest Paws Offer?
Honest Paws has built its reputation on being a “one-stop shop” for pet wellness, with Honest Paws CBD oil being one of their most popular products among their first-time buyers. Their catalogue is extensive; they moved far beyond simple CBD products into grooming, general supplements, and accessories.
To make shopping easy for beginners, they organize their products into three specific “Solution” lines: Calm (anxiety), Mobility (joints), and Well (general health).
1. Condition-Specific CBD Oils and Chews
Unlike companies that sell one oil for everything, Honest Paws formulates specific blends with added ingredients for different issues.
- The “Calm” Line: This line is made for stress and anxiety. It includes their standard CBD oil, “Calm Bites” (crunchy treats), and their Honest Paws Calm Soft Chews, which are one of their best-selling anxiety products. They also sell Calm Peanut Butter (12 oz jar).
- The “Mobility” Line: This line of products targets aging dogs with stiff joints, and the Honest Paws Mobility formulas are especially popular for senior pets needing daily support.
- The “Well” Line: This line is aimed at general preventative care and immune support. This includes their standard oil and Well Bites.
Pricing Note: Honest Paws’ CBD oils typically start at $24.95 for the lowest strength (125 mg) and go up from there depending on the potency.
2. Functional Non-CBD Supplements
Recently, Honest Paws has expanded into general supplements for pet parents who might be hesitant about hemp or want to stack benefits.
- Probiotics with Prebiotics: A chicken-flavored powder that helps with digestion and gut health.
- Mushroom Gut & Immune Powder: A blend focused on long-term immune support.
- Advanced Mobility Powder: A non-CBD joint supplement for bone health.
- Daily Multivitamins & Omega-3 Fish Oil: Standard daily supplements for skin, coat, and nutrient absorption.
3. Grooming and Accessories
To round out the “lifestyle” feel of the brand, they also sell products to keep your pet looking good on the outside, too.
- 5-in-1 Dog Wash: A scented shampoo that cleans, conditions, and detangles.
- Dry Shampoo: A scented waterless spray for quick cleanups between baths.
- The “Calm Vest”: An anxiety wrap/vest that provides gentle pressure during stressful situations like thunderstorms.
4. Products for Cats
Honest Paws primarily focuses on dogs, but they do have a small selection of products for felines.
It includes the Well CBD Oil for Cats, a lower-potency tincture that’s safe for feline biology, and the Calm CBD Soft Chews for Cats, which are treats formulated to help promote healthy brain function and relaxation.
Honest Paws’ Strengths
Our analysis and customer feedback shows that Honest Paws has earned its place as one of the market leaders for several good reasons. They’re great at making CBD “approachable” for the average pet owner.
- USA Certified Organic: Many brands claim to use organic ingredients, but Honest Paws has the official USDA Organic seal on their hemp oils. This guarantees that the hemp was grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.
- Simplified Shopping Experience: Honest Paws makes it easy for beginners to choose a product. They categorized everything into their three lines (Calm, Mobility, and Well) so that you don’t need to know the science of terpenes; you just need to know if your dog is anxious or stiff.
- Soft Chews for Seniors: Their Mobility Soft Chews are great for aging dogs who may have missing teeth or dental pain. The texture is soft and moist, which makes them much easier to eat than crunchy “biscuits.”
- Local Availability: Unlike many CBD brands that are online-only, Honest Paws has a wide distributor network. This means you can often find their products in local boutiques or pet stores. If you need immediate relief for your dog today and can’t wait for shipping, this is a huge advantage.
- Reputation: Honest Paws holds a 4.5/5-star rating across 3,000+ reviews on Trustpilot, and many Honest Paws reviews highlight consistent quality and noticeable improvements in their pets. This means that customers are generally happy with the company’s products.
Honest Paws’ Weaknesses
Despite the brand’s strengths, if you take a closer look at their pricing structure and product limitations, you’ll notice some serious gaps.
If you have a larger dog, a strict budget, or a pet with severe needs, there are better alternatives.
1. The Price Per Milligram
Honest Paws is actually priced as a premium product. When you look at the price tag on the bottle, it can be deceiving. A bottle might look cheaper, but if it contains half the medicine, you’re actually paying far more in the long run.
To find the real value, you have to look at the Price Per Milligram (mg) of CBD. This tells you exactly how much you’re paying for the active ingredient that actually helps your dog.
We compared Honest Paws against ourselves to see how the math shakes out across three tiers.
| Brand | Total CBD (Entry-Level) | Price | Price Per mg | Estimated Yearly Cost (10-lb dog) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honest Paws | 125 mg | $24.95 | $0.20 | ~$1,098 |
| Innovet Pet | 125 mg | $27.95 | $0.22 | ~$1,230 |
| Brand | Total CBD (Mid-Level) | Price | Price Per mg | Estimated Yearly Cost (10-lb dog) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honest Paws | 250 mg | $42.95 | $0.17 | ~$945 |
| Innovet Pet | 250 mg | $39.95 | $0.16 | ~$879 ✅ |
| Brand | Total CBD (High-Potency) | Price | Price Per mg | Estimated Yearly Cost (30-lb dog) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honest Paws | 1,000 mg | $94.95 | $0.095 | ~$285 |
| Innovet Pet | 1,500 mg | $109.95 | $0.073 | ~$220 ✅ |
If you have a dog under 20 lbs and you only need the lowest strength (125 mg), Honest Paws is competitively priced. At roughly $0.20 per mg, the brands are very close.
But once you move past the smallest size, the gap widens. At the 250 mg level, Innovet Pet is cheaper per milligram ($0.16 vs. $0.17). It might seem like pennies, but that adds up to about $60 extra over a year of treatment.
However, Honest Paws completely abandons large dogs. Their product line effectively ends at 1,000 mg.
| Brand | Total CBD | Price | Price Per mg | Estimated Yearly Cost (70-lb dog) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honest Paws | 1,000 mg | $94.95 | $0.095 | ~$570 |
| Innovet Pet | 3,000 mg | $146.95 | $0.049 | ~$294 ✅ |
| Innovet Pet | 6,000 mg | $215.95 | $0.036 | ~$216 ✅ |
If you have a large dog (over 70 lbs) or a dog with severe chronic pain, you likely need high doses.
- With Innovet Pet’s 6,000 mg bottle, you’re paying just $0.03 per mg.
- With Honest Paws, you’re stuck paying $0.09 per mg, which is literally three times the price for the same amount of medicine, because they force you to buy smaller, more expensive bottles.
Honest Paws is a great starter brand for small pets, but if you need clinical strength or long-term value, the math heavily favors Innovet Pet.
2. The Potency Gap
This is the most glaring issue for owners of large breeds. Honest Paws tops out at 1,000 mg concentration. They label this “Extra Strength,” but for a Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, or Great Dane, this is barely a starter dose.
A 90 lb dog with severe arthritis often requires 50 to 100 mg of CBD daily. A 1,000 mg bottle would last that dog only 10 to 20 days.
Because they lack high-potency options (like 3,000 mg or 6,000 mg), owners of big dogs are forced to buy multiple bottles a month. This is cost-prohibitive.
3. Subscription and Service Issues
Honest Paws’ general reputation is good, but customers frequently complain about the brand’s subscription model and customer support.
In fact, some went as far as to flat-out say “Never buy a subscription from them.” Some of the issues they raised include:
- Difficulty canceling auto-shipments and subscriptions.
- Unexpected charges after cancellation attempts.
- Continued charges even after account deletion.
- Forced add-on fees (e.g., shipping insurance pre-selected at checkout).
- Shipping delays caused by unnecessary third-party handling.
- Confusing or deceptive upsell practices with mislabeled products.
- Wrong or inconsistent product shipments.
- Poor communication and lack of response from customer service.
- Automated/bot-heavy support with little to no human follow-up.
- Customers needing to involve banks to block charges or pursue refunds.
4. Product Design Issues
Honest Paws’ packaging looks premium, but users have reported some problems in real-world use, especially with some of their specialty items.
For example, the Calm Peanut Butter squeeze pouches are marketed for convenience, but the natural oils tend to separate from the solids, which leads to a messy application where oily liquid spills out before the peanut butter. This makes it difficult to give your dog a quick treat without ending up with greasy hands.
On Trustpilot, one owner noted their dog experienced a negative reaction after the oil, while another reported their cat developed “chin acne” (a common reaction to oils or residues) after using the probiotic powder.
Note: Adverse reactions can happen with any brand, but these reports show that “condition-specific” formulas with added flavorings and fillers carry a higher risk of reaction than pure, limited-ingredient CBD oils.
Is Honest Paws the Right Choice for Your Pet?
Is Honest Paws a good brand? Yes, but only for a specific type of pet owner. If you have a small dog, a flexible budget, and want the convenience of a “lifestyle” brand you can find on Amazon and local retailers, they’re a safe and reputable choice.
However, for most pet parents, the high pricing and difficult service is a dealbreaker.
Between the low potency cap of 1,000 mg, which makes them prohibitively expensive for large dogs, and the recurring customer reports regarding difficult cancellations and automated support, the experience can be very frustrating.
If you prioritize clinical-strength potency, better value for your money, and a customer support team that actually picks up the phone to help you, Innovet Pet is the safer, smarter choice for your family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Honest Paws a legitimate company?
Yes. Honest Paws is a BBB-accredited business with a strong reputation and millions of dollars in annual sales. They use USDA Certified Organic hemp and provide third-party lab testing.
Our review notes their service, pricing, and potency limitations, but they’re a safe and legitimate brand.
Why is Honest Paws more expensive than other brands?
Honest Paws positions itself as a premium “lifestyle” brand. A large portion of the cost goes toward their marketing, retail distribution, and packaging.
While the quality is good, the higher price doesn’t necessarily mean the medicine inside is more effective than more affordable, clinical-strength options.
What is the difference between MCT Oil and Hemp Seed Oil?
Honest Paws uses MCT (coconut) oil as the carrier for their CBD. While safe, it doesn’t offer the same benefits as hemp seed oil, which is rich in omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids and supports overall wellness and absorption.
When hemp seed oil is used as a carrier for full-spectrum hemp extract, it complements the cannabinoids and terpenes that work together to produce the “Entourage Effect.” This allows the CBD to be absorbed more effectively by the body.
Does Honest Paws work for large dogs?
It can, but it isn’t very cost-effective. Their strongest bottle is only 1,000 mg. A large dog (over 80 lbs) may need 50 mg or more per day, meaning a single bottle could last less than three weeks.
For large breeds, it’s usually better to look for brands that offer 3,000 mg or 6,000 mg concentrations so you get enough potency and better value.
How do I cancel my Honest Paws subscription?
To cancel, you typically need to log into your Honest Paws account on their website or contact their support team directly.
We recommend doing this at least 5 days before your next scheduled shipment to avoid unwanted charges. Subscription management and cancellation have been a common complaint in customer reviews.
