The mg-per-chew problem
Most calming chews carry 5 mg of CBD each. The studied daily range for a 60 lb dog is roughly 27–54 mg per dose; the studied single-event dose is ~109 mg. At 5 mg a chew, that's 6–11 chews per dose and twenty-plus for an event — at chew prices, several dollars per real dose, and a lot of filler calories.
This is why treats show the worst price-per-mg in our comparison and why the one controlled treats trial — run at just ~1.4 mg/kg — may have simply been underdosed.
When treats are still the right call
- Small dogs. A 12 lb dog's doses fit in one or two chews — the format penalty disappears.
- Oil-refusers. 0 mg of refused oil loses to 5 mg of eaten chew, every time.
- Second-person households. Chews are idiot-proof for the sitter; droppers aren't.
How to buy them like an adult
- Compute price-per-mg: bottle price ÷ total mg. Over ~$0.15/mg, you're paying treat tax.
- Same COA bar as oil: batch-matched, third-party, THC non-detect, potency within ±10%.
- Skip multi-ingredient "calming blends" until you know what CBD alone does for your dog.
- Check the treat's calories — a 60 lb-dog dose shouldn't be a second dinner.