Why any amount is worth a call
Ibuprofen is the first drug on our hemoperfusion list for a reason: dogs are far more sensitive to it than people.
The same pill means very different things for different dogs. Take a standard 200 mg tablet:
- For a 10-pound dog (about 4.5 kg), one tablet is about 44 mg per kilogram of body weight. Three tablets is about 133 mg/kg, already in the range where the Merck Veterinary Manual describes vomiting and stomach pain.
- For a 70-pound dog (about 32 kg), the same three tablets is about 19 mg/kg.
That does not make a smaller amount safe. Veterinarians also weigh your dog's age, kidney health and other medications. Let us do the math with you on the phone.
How much ibuprofen is harmful to dogs?
There is no amount we would call safe to give at home. The Merck Veterinary Manual describes vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain after a single dose of 100 to 125 mg per kilogram of body weight, with kidney failure possible at 175 to 300 mg/kg.
These are the levels at which veterinarians become concerned about each problem. They are not safe limits.
| Single dose | What vets become concerned about |
|---|---|
| 100 to 125 mg/kg | Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, belly pain, loss of appetite |
| 175 to 300 mg/kg | Kidney failure |
| Over 400 mg/kg | Seizures, loss of coordination, coma |
| Over 600 mg/kg | Potentially lethal |
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual. Cats are affected at about half the dog dose (Merck), so a cat that gets into ibuprofen needs a call just as urgently.
How long does it take for ibuprofen poisoning to show up in dogs?
Ibuprofen reaches its peak level in the blood 30 minutes to 3 hours after it is swallowed, and food can slow that down (Merck). Kidney damage is found through blood work, not by looking at the dog, so a dog that seems fine is not necessarily in the clear.
Will my dog be OK if he ate ibuprofen?
Many dogs do well when treatment starts early. The outlook depends on the dose, how quickly treatment begins and your dog's kidney health, which is why calling right away matters more than anything else you can do.
Can a dog recover from taking ibuprofen?
Yes, many do, especially when treatment starts before the kidneys are affected. Dogs with large ingestions may need hospital care and repeat blood work to confirm their kidneys are recovering.
What CARE does, step by step
- Decontamination where timing allows, to limit how much ibuprofen is absorbed.
- Stomach protection to prevent or treat ulcers.
- IV fluids to protect the kidneys.
- Blood work to track kidney values over the following days.
- [Hemoperfusion](/hemoperfusion) for severe cases. For very large ibuprofen ingestions, the Merck Veterinary Manual lists charcoal hemoperfusion and plasma exchange among the treatments, and CARE is one of the few hospitals that offers hemoperfusion.
My dog ate naproxen (Aleve)
Naproxen is more dangerous for dogs than its dose suggests because it stays in the body so long: its half-life in dogs is 74 hours (Merck).
That long half-life means the drug keeps acting for days, so the same urgency applies: call right away and bring the package. Naproxen is also on our hemoperfusion list.
My pet ate acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Acetaminophen is especially dangerous to cats. Merck reports toxicity in cats at 40 to 50 mg/kg, and some cats show signs at just 10 mg/kg.
For a 10-pound cat, a single 325 mg regular-strength tablet is well above that range. Never give a cat Tylenol. In dogs, Merck notes signs are not usually seen below 100 mg/kg, but larger dogs get into whole bottles, so call either way. Acetaminophen is also on our hemoperfusion list.