Is Ibuprofen Toxic to Dogs?
Yes, ibuprofen is highly toxic to dogs and should never be administered to them. Dogs are extremely sensitive to ibuprofen toxicity, developing severe gastrointestinal ulceration, acute kidney injury, and neurological dysfunction at doses that would be therapeutic in humans 1.
Mechanism and Clinical Manifestations of Toxicity
Dogs lack the metabolic capacity to safely process ibuprofen, making even small doses potentially lethal. The drug causes:
- Gastrointestinal toxicity: Gastric ulcers develop unpredictably even with therapeutic dosing attempts, and ibuprofen is explicitly not recommended for prolonged treatment in dogs due to the high likelihood of ulcer formation 1
- Renal toxicity: Acute renal failure can occur after ingestion, with azotemia, vomiting, and melena as presenting signs 2
- Neurological toxicity: Progressive neurological dysfunction ranging from obtundation to coma can develop rapidly, even within 30 minutes of ingestion 3
Toxic Dose Thresholds
Any intentional administration of ibuprofen to dogs should be avoided entirely. Case reports document severe toxicity at the following doses:
- 2,200 mg/kg: Resulted in comatose state requiring extracorporeal removal 4
- 1,856 mg/kg: Caused rapid progression from alert to comatose within 30 minutes 3
- 200 mg/kg: Required therapeutic plasma exchange for treatment 5
- As low as 310 mg/kg (ten 600-mg tablets in a 10-month-old dog): Caused acute renal failure 2
Emergency Treatment Protocol
If ibuprofen ingestion occurs, immediate veterinary intervention is critical. Treatment approaches include:
- Early decontamination: Gastric emptying and activated charcoal administration within the first hours 1
- Supportive therapy: IV fluids with sodium bicarbonate, gastrointestinal protectants (misoprostol), and antiemetics 1, 3
- Advanced interventions for severe cases:
- IV lipid emulsion therapy (bolus followed by constant rate infusion) showed clinical improvement within 3 hours in one case 3
- Therapeutic plasma exchange achieved 85% reduction in plasma ibuprofen concentration 5
- Serial charcoal hemoperfusion coupled with hemodialysis resulted in complete reversal of neurologic dysfunction 4
Critical Pitfalls to Avoid
Never assume "just one tablet" is safe—dogs metabolize NSAIDs completely differently than humans. Key warnings:
- Gastric mucosal adaptation that occurs in humans with repeated aspirin use does not reliably occur in dogs 1
- Renal dysfunction may not be completely reversed even with aggressive therapy 2
- Clinical signs can progress extremely rapidly, requiring immediate N-acetylcysteine administration even when ingestion history is unclear 1
- The prognosis for recovery from acute renal failure is good with rapid institution of appropriate therapy, but permanent damage may occur 2
The only safe approach is complete avoidance of ibuprofen in dogs—use veterinary-approved NSAIDs or analgesics specifically formulated and dosed for canine patients.