Toxic to cats · Medications

Is Carprofen toxic to cats?

Extreme severity

Yes, Carprofen is extremely toxic to cats. Even a small amount can be life-threatening, so treat any exposure as an emergency and contact a vet immediately.

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Is carprofen toxic to dogs and cats?

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What to do right now

  1. Call your vet or an animal poison line now, even if your cat seems fine and even if it swallowed only one tablet. In the US: Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661 (a fee applies) or ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435.
  2. Don't try to make your cat vomit at home. Making a cat vomit is unpredictable, even for vets.
  3. Keep the bottle. Note the tablet strength, how many tablets may be missing, roughly when it happened and your cat's weight.
  4. If you gave your cat carprofen yourself, tell the vet how much and how often. Also mention any steroid or other anti-inflammatory your cat takes: two NSAIDs, or an NSAID and a steroid, should not be given at the same time.

Go to an emergency vet if

  • Your cat swallowed any amount of carprofen and you can't reach your vet or a poison line. Even one tablet is potentially serious for a cat, so don't wait for signs.
  • Your cat vomits blood, or passes black, tarry or bloody stools.
  • Your cat has belly pain, stops eating or is very lethargic.
  • Your cat drinks or pees more or less than usual. This can be a sign of kidney damage.
  • Your cat has a seizure or becomes unresponsive.

Symptoms to watch for

  • Vomiting
  • Bloody vomitus
  • Diarrhea
  • Black-tarry stool
  • Inappetance
  • Lethargy
  • Increase in urination
  • Increase in thirst
  • General malaise
  • Abdominal pain
  • Liver damage
  • Seizures
  • Death

How much is dangerous

Carprofen carries a far greater risk of side effects in cats than in dogs, according to the ASPCA: cats have a limited ability to break it down, so it stays in their body longer. The margin of safety is so narrow that, the ASPCA says, a cat swallowing just one 25 mg tablet is potentially serious. In ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center data, which may not show the lowest doses that can cause harm, ingestions of 4 mg per kilogram of body weight and above would be expected to cause more than mild stomach and gut signs, including ulcers, and 8 mg/kg and above may cause kidney failure. Don't use the dog figures to judge your cat's risk: treat any amount your cat swallows as an emergency.

When signs appear

None of the sources we checked gives a timeline of signs for cats. The ASPCA says cats can show the same range of signs as dogs. Carprofen stays longer in a cat's body: the ASPCA gives a half-life (the time the body takes to clear half of the drug) of 20.1 hours on average in cats, with wide variation, against 8 to 18 hours in dogs. Don't wait for signs before calling your vet.

Why it's dangerous

As a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, it inhibits enzymes that protect the stomach lining and maintain kidney blood flow, leading to gastric ulceration and acute kidney failure.

Toxic compound: Carprofen

How vets treat it

Making a cat vomit is unpredictable, and the ASPCA's 2009 brief says activated charcoal may be the best first step. Its 2006 brief says the vet may still try if your cat swallowed the medicine less than 4 hours ago and hasn't vomited yet. Charcoal may be repeated, because carprofen cycles between the liver and the gut. To prevent stomach ulcers, cats get an acid reducer such as famotidine or omeprazole, plus sucralfate and misoprostol, for 7 to 10 days, and the vet watches for signs of stomach bleeding. A drip (IV fluids) runs for at least 48 hours to protect the kidneys, and because carprofen lasts longer and more variably in cats, the vet may keep it going for 72 hours, with kidney tests to follow progress. The vet may also give SAMe, a liver-protecting supplement.

Outlook

None of the sources we checked gives recovery rates for cats. Cats tolerate NSAIDs poorly, and the ASPCA says most exposures need aggressive treatment. Kidney damage can be severe: in ASPCA records, a 3-month-old kitten given 8.6 mg/kg of carprofen developed kidney failure and was put to sleep. The ASPCA's carprofen brief, which covers dogs and cats, says the outlook is often excellent with prompt treatment, and worse if a bleeding or perforated ulcer or severe kidney failure develops.

Where pets are exposed

  • Carprofen is a prescription anti-inflammatory and pain medicine made for dogs, used for osteoarthritis and for pain after surgery. Brand names include Rimadyl, Novox, Vetprofen, Carprieve and Rovera. It belongs to the group of drugs called NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
  • In the US, carprofen comes as caplets and chewable tablets of 25, 75 or 100 mg, and as an injection that vets use. A bottle can hold up to 240 caplets.
  • Your dog's own medicine. Dogs find the chewable tablets tasty, and the ASPCA says it is not unusual for a dog to eat an entire bottle if it can reach it. After ibuprofen, carprofen is the NSAID most often reported in animal exposures, according to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
  • A dose mix-up: a dog that gets more than its prescribed dose, or tablets meant for another dog. Poisoning can happen when a dog takes too much, and the FDA warns that a medicine meant for one dog may hurt another.
  • Cats. According to the ASPCA, cats are exposed to NSAIDs mostly when their owners give them one, and more rarely when they eat a dog's chewable tablets. In the US, carprofen is approved for dogs only.

Prevention

  • Give carprofen only to the dog it was prescribed for, exactly as your vet directs. Following the dosing instructions is how you prevent an overdose.
  • Never give your dog's carprofen to a cat or to another dog. A medicine meant for one pet may hurt another, and in the US carprofen is approved for dogs only.
  • Keep carprofen locked away, out of reach of all your pets. Dogs find the chewable tablets tasty, and the ASPCA warns that flavored chewable pet medicines greatly increase the risk that a pet eats the whole container.
  • Never add another anti-inflammatory or a steroid such as prednisone without asking your vet. Combining them raises the risk of stomach and gut damage.
  • Never give your dog a human pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) instead: human NSAIDs can be extremely dangerous for dogs.

Good to know

Carprofen is not approved for use in cats. In dogs, chronic ingestion can rarely cause liver damage even without an overdose.

Common questions

My dog ate a bottle of chewable carprofen tablets. What should I do?

Call your vet or a pet poison line now, even if your dog seems fine, and keep the bottle so the vet can check the tablet strength and work out how much your dog ate. Don't make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to. This happens often: the ASPCA says it is not unusual for a dog to eat an entire bottle of the tasty chewable tablets. Even after extreme overdoses, the outlook is often excellent with prompt treatment.

I gave my dog a double dose of carprofen by mistake. What should I do?

Call your vet or a pet poison line, and tell them the tablet strength, how many doses your dog got and when, and your dog's weight. The treatment depends on the dose, any signs and your dog's overall health, so let the vet decide. Afterwards, watch for vomiting, diarrhea, black or bloody stools, loss of appetite or low energy: if you notice any of these, stop giving the medicine and call your vet.

How much carprofen is toxic to a dog?

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center cases suggest that in otherwise healthy dogs, fairly severe stomach and gut signs may be seen above 20 mg/kg of body weight, and the ASPCA recommends a drip to protect the kidneys at 40 mg/kg and above. Liver damage may occur with any dose. The ASPCA warns that these figures come from treated cases and may not be the lowest doses that cause harm. Your vet works out the dose from the tablet strength and your dog's weight, so call with the bottle to hand.

Can I give my cat my dog's carprofen?

No. Don't give your cat any medicine without talking to your vet first. In the US, carprofen is approved for dogs only, and using it in cats is off-label; in the EU and some other countries it is registered for short-term treatment in cats. Cats break carprofen down slowly, and the ASPCA says even one 25 mg tablet is potentially serious for a cat. If your cat has swallowed any, call your vet straight away.

Can carprofen harm my dog's liver even at the prescribed dose?

Rarely, yes. A small number of dogs have an unpredictable liver reaction to carprofen at the normal dose. In one report, signs began on average about 20 days after the dog started the medicine, and most dogs recovered fully once it was stopped and they got supportive care. About a third of the dogs with this reaction were Labrador Retrievers, though a true breed risk hasn't been established. Your vet may run blood tests before and during long-term treatment. If your dog vomits, stops eating or has yellow gums or eyes, stop the medicine and call your vet.

Sources

This page is informational and is not veterinary advice. If your pet has been exposed to something risky, contact your vet or an animal poison control line right away.

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