What to do if your dog eats ibuprofen (e.g., Advil) | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
In the past few weeks, I’ve had multiple dog owners bring in their dog for Advil (e.g., ibuprofen) poisoning. While this is “treatable,” the past few cases have been frustrating to treat. Want to know why?
Because the pet owners brought their dogs in too late…
The last two pet owners waited 4-12 hours to bring their dogs in. They tried to induce vomiting at home, and while they dogs vomited, they didn’t seek further care until hours later, when their dog continued to vomit. Little did they know that the sooner that you seek veterinary attention for treatment, the better the prognosis, the more your dog can be treated, and the less damage it will cause them! These owners didn’t know this, and ended up having to pay more for treatment as a result, with more damage to their dogs in the process!
If your dog eats ibuprofen, you want to seek veterinary attention immediately. Not 3-4 hours after your dog ingests Advil. Not after you’ve tried to induce vomiting several times and are waiting at home for hours to get him (or her) to vomit. Get to the vet now. Even if it means having to get up in the middle of the night to get to an emergency veterinarian.
First, why is ibuprofen poisonous?
Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has anti-inflammatory properties. Common OTC human NSAIDs include active ingredients such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. Examples of human NSAIDs include Advil®, Aleve®, certain types of Motrin®, etc. NOTE: You should never give any of these human NSAIDs to your dog (or cat), as it is very poisonous! Instead, there are safer veterinary NSAIDs that we use; however, these ALSO can be poisonous if ingested in large amounts. Examples of veterinary NSAIDs include carprofen, deracoxib, etogesic, previcoxib, etc.
NSAIDs like this are very poisonous to dogs & cats! Get to a veterinarian immediately if your pet got into this!
With NSAID toxicosis, the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., stomach, ingestines), kidneys, central nervous system (e.g., brain), and platelets can be affected. Cats and certain breeds of dogs (e.g., German shepherds) seem to be more sensitive to NSAIDs, and should be treated aggressively. With cats, severe acute kidney injury (AKI) is often more clinically seen with NSAID toxicosis at lower doses (as compared to dogs). With dogs, signs secondary to GI ulceration (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, black tarry stool, vomiting blood, etc.) are more commonly seen initially, followed by secondary AKI.
Clinical signs of NSAID poisoning include:
- Not eating
- Vomiting
- Vomiting blood
- Diarrhea
- Black-tarry stool (melena)
- A painful abdomen
- Lethargy
- Bad breath
- Dehydration
Treatment for ibuprofen poisoning in dogs & cats includes aggressive intravenous fluids
So how do we treat ibuprofen poisoning in dogs and cats?
Treatment should be initiated immediately, depending on what dose your dog or cat got into. This includes immediate decontamination (e.g., inducing vomiting if your dog isn’t already vomiting, and if the ibuprofen was recently ingested), administration of activated charcoal (to bind up the poison from the stomach and intestines), then getting blood work immediately. Depending on the dose ingested, further treatment will include anti-vomiting medication, stomach protectants (e.g., H2 blockers like Pepcid-AC, sucralfate), aggressive IV fluid therapy (to help maintain renal blood flow), and symptomatic and supportive care. If the dose ingested was a kidney failure dose (which will depend on what type of NSAID it is), blood work typically needs to be performed every 24 hours for 2-3 days while your dog is hospitalized to make sure that kidney failure hasn’t developed.
When in doubt, call your veterinarian, your emergency veterinarian, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 for life-saving advice (24/7!).
You can check out this video to learn more about human medications that are poisonous to pets here. Again, when in doubt, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.
.my Dogg ate 200mg of advil I don’t have any money I just moved to this state .and I don’t know what to do! Within a 30 min ago
Depends on the weight of your dog. I would call ASPCA ASAP as they may be able to help you with inducing vomiting.
No one answers the ASPCA pet poison hotline, they had me on hold for 30 minutes today
I have a chiweenies 12 lbs and he ate a 290mg ibuprofen last night. I called poision control and they told me that they thunk he should be alright. If he vi its more then 10 times in 45 mins or has diarrhea for more then 12 hrs to call vet. Ithas been more then 24 hrs nowand only change is he has been drinking and urinating alot. I do have a call into my vet to see if that is an issue.
Tammy, was you dog okay after this? I have a miniature schnauzer that weighs about 12 lbs and are a 200mg Motrin. He did vomit and has been laying around a lot but he is drinking and urinating normally. *
Is there any one out there who’s dog was given an Advil like dose appropriate? Its kinda scary to know how sick a dog can get….yet we are able to take this ( appropriately dosed) without our kidneys shutting down….Is this a sham for vets to make us cashcows?
Um no. As the only board-certified toxicologist and criticalist in the world, I can vouch and attest that there is NO therapeutic dose of Advil for use in dogs. You metabolize drugs differently than your dogs. There are dog-specific NSAIDS that are safer.
My 27 lbs cockapoo just swallowed 1 mini liquid gel 200 mg Advil . I gave her lots of water to drink, hopefully to flush it out. Should I need to bring her to Pet ER place? I don’t even know where there’s 1. We still have the lockdown for convid19 here.
The longer you wait, the worst the prognosis. Vets are open for emergency care so you can get to an emergency vet. That said, I’d recommend calling ASPCA Animal Poison Control, a non-profit animal poison control ASAP as they may be able to give you guidance for at home care at this dose!
Someone gave my dog an ibuprofen, I don’t know what to do. We don’t have any money to take her to the vet. Is there anything I could do to help her.? She’s already been vomiting blood, I’m really scared of what could happen to her.
When in doubt, you you need to call ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center as they can advise over the phone. There’s a fee, but it may be less expensive than the ER vet and they can give you suggestions for medications, etc.
My 15lb dog ate 400mg of advil, it’s been 24 hours and he hasn’t show any symptoms. Will he be okay?
My German short-haired pointer is 1 years old he swallowed 1 tablet of ibuprofen and we got him to vomit 3 times in the last 5 minutes we put bicarbonated soda and vinegar down his throat we are far from medical attention how can we try help him and then take him tomorrow morning as I am from South Africa
What weight is he and what size ibuprofen? It’s different in each country.
My dog (miniature schnauzer) ate three 200 mg of Advil. I got her to the Emergency Vet Clinic within about an hour. I had given her peroxide to vomit but she didn’t. Do you think I got her the treatment she needed in time??? I am praying I did before she got any gastrointestinal problems. Thank you.
Yes sounds like you got here there in time! Rest assured in that they can decontaminate and give charcoal, treat with IV fluids and stomach protectants and after 2 days of hospitalization, prognosis is generally good! Best of luck!
My dog ate a bunch of Motrin pills and I didn’t know that pills were poisonous to dogs so it took her a few hours to get to the vet, do you think she’ll be ok?
It depends on the dose – have your vet call ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center if needed. The longer delay in getting to the vet, the bigger the danger as it’s too late to decontaminate, so you want to get to an ER vet even in the middle of the night! Best of luck.
My dog ate 15 Advil last night and we took her to the vet and they induced vomiting and sent her home. She won’t keep anything down and keeps throwing up her food. What should we do?
You definitely need to et back to the vet right away – what weight is your dog and were they 200 mg tablets? It could still be very poisonous and IV fluids and antivomiting medication may be needed!
Dog ate 20 100mg tablets of child ibuprofen, uh what do I do? Vet opens tomorrow and we already made her throw up
It depends on the size of your dog to find out if it’s a toxic dose. When in doubt, I would contact ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center asap. You may need to go to an emergency vet for treatment.
my shepherd ate quite a few 800mg ibuprofen pills and seems ok should i be worried? this was about 2 hours ago
When in doubt, you need to call ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately – as German shepherds are at higher risk. In general, 50 mg/kg or above can cause stomach ulcers, and really high doses can cause kidney failure and worse. It depends on what dose your dog got into but at 2 hours, it’s too late to induce vomiting and I would contact your vet immediately.
My cat just ate one 200mg Advil. I don’t have any vet around! What can I do? Please inform me asap! It isn’t vomiting!
You need to get to a vet right away as that’s super poisonous and can cause kidney failure. There is NO safe medication you can give at home to induce vomiting in a cat and immediate veterinary treatment is needed.
My dog chewed a neurofen capsule could this be fatal
Yes. I would seek veterinary attention immediately instead of posting under comments, as it’s unfortunately too late too decontaminate now.
My golden doodle just swallowed 200mg of Advil. should we induce her to throw up or should we drive her to a vet? poison control isn’t picking up the line.
Depends on the weight of your dog. I’d call ASPCA asap at (888) 426-4435
10lb dog ate one 800mg ibuprofen. Is this a kidney failure amount
Yes, it’s the DEADLY amount – this dose can cause kidney failure, seizures and more. Get to a vet ASAP to get blood work done, IV fluids and antivomiting medication ASAP.
My 45 lbs dog ingested 400 mg of ibuprofen. Would this warrant a visit to the emergency room?
Yes, that could be a fatal dose. No dose of ibuprofen or N-Saids is okay.
I have a 140 lb Italian mastiff. He ate a generic 200mg ibuprofen when my back was turned. Do you think I should take him in?
Thankfully, your dog is so big, it shouldn’t be an issue but I would call ASPCA APCC to be safe in case your dog has other related medical problems!
Hi Dr. Justine, my 24 lb Pomeranian punctured and licked about 100mg of ibuprofen liquid gel. I contacted aspca and they said that he should be fine with supervision at home. Six hours after ingestion, he seems fine, but he has bad breath. Is this enough to take him to the vet? They didn’t really specify if the dosage he took was really toxic or not. Thank you for your time.Comment
My 70 pound golden retriever just ate a 400mg Advil 20 minutes ago, just left for the vet that’s 45 min away to induce vomiting, will he be ok?
So, we have brothers. Pit bull/Catahoula Leopard mixes. They just turned a year old today. Both are a little mischievous and found a bottle of Ibupofen in my work bookbag. Im unsure how many exactly were left in the bottle but, the bottle was chewed and there were only 3 pills left. Both boys ( between 60 and 70 pounds) along with my smaller dog all “shared” the bottle. They threw up for about 2 days, and as we didnt know the toxicity, we thought they’d work it out of their system. That was Saturday, its early Tuesday morning and we’ve had no more vomit, no blood in the vomit or stool before. Now, I’m noticing they are peeing, a lot, and sometimes laying down like they don’t know or cant control it. Im worried. I’ve been administering 10cc of Carafate to each. And feeding them boiled chicken, rice, and scrambled eggs. Will this work and blow over, or do I need to make a trip to the vet?
Yup, they are likely in kidney failure as a result of not getting IMMEDIATE veterinary care when they got into it DAYS ago. It’s too late to get the poison out of them, but if you value their kidneys, you need to get to a vet asap for blood work and fluid therapy.
On Friday February 28, my 3 boys (2 pit mixes and 1 small unknown) decided to share a bottle of Ibuprofen. They started vomiting instantly that day. And did so through Sunday the 1st of March. No blood in either stool or vomit. Unknown to us, we didnt know the toxicity, and we thought it would work it’s way out. By Sunday when the vomiting continued (but slowed) we wondered. So we started giving them 10cc of Carafate. There has been no puke since early Sunday morning. It’s currently 2am Tuesday. Still no vomiting or blood. I’ve been feeding them boiled chicken, rice, and scrambled eggs. Today I noticed they’ve been urinating ALOT. And sometimes it happens in their sleep. Is this the body metabolizing and flushing it out? Will it pass? Or is this something that is going to require further vet care? They play, eat, and act normal. I just want to know if my boys will be okay.
Incontinence is a sign of the poisoning from what I have read.
I hope all is well
As a veterinary expert in this area, I can tell you that that is highly unlikely unless your dog went into kidney failure due to late treatment.
Are your dogs still living? Did it blow over?
My 7lb chihuahua ingested between 66-75mg of ibuprofen today. Luckily I saw it immediately and rushed him to the vet. W/in 15 min of him ingesting it they were pumping his stomach and administering charcoal. They also sent me home w/ meds to prevent ulcers. Do you think he’ll be ok? He’s been really lethargic since we got home but I know he went through a traumatic experience and is probably just wiped out. Thoughts? I’m still really scared.
Yes, so glad you sought immediate care. Thankfully, it’s unlikely to be a dose that causes kidney failure!
Do you let your dog drink water if you think they may have taken an Advil?
Yes but you need to get to the vet or call ASPCA to see if it’s a poisonous dose.
My 15 lbs dog ate about 50mg of advil. Do you think she is ok?
I’m not quite sure if my dog got into Advil?! I came out of the room and the pills were on the floor spread out, she’s tiny (9 lbs) and doesn’t tend to eat things, just plays with them. Not sure what to do!
Thanks!
You need to get her to a VET ASAP for decontamination as 2 pills can kill her, as she’s so small!
My dog (20 pounds) ate just the coating off of an ibuprofen, he didn’t really eat any of the actual pill, maybe just 10 minutes ago. What should i do? I’m really scared. He isn’t showing any signs of anything yet, but i had him drink water.
Unlikely to be an issue – but you can call your vet to be safe. No need to induce vomiting IMO.
My 25 lb dog got into 400 mg of Motrin at 6:00. He is 17 years. It is now 11:00 and he is acting normal. Thoughts?Comment
My 60 pound dog got into my ibeprofen 600mg . It was a brand new bottle so i could see how much he ate . 600mg ibuprofen and 5 are missing ! I went to work and hes kenneled . I did not see bottle till i got home 12 hours later!
Oh no. If it’s 600 mg X 5 tablets = 3000 mg. Your dog is 60 pounds/2.2 kgs = 27 kgs. This is a 3000 mg/27 kg or 111 mg/kg ingestion and is DEFINITELY poisonous. It’s too late to decontaminate your dog, but it’s just approaching the kidney failure dose at 150 mg/kg. I would get to a vet right away and have them call ASPCA APCC for treatment recommendations.
Best of luck and keep us posted!
I gave my shih tzu maybe half amount of 200mg advil. Its to late to realize it was a wrong idea. I’m worried because she was shivering and panting, realizing she was in pain so i gave her the med which is wrong move.
What can I do without any getting to vet? Any advice for home remedies?
I’d call ASPCA Animal Poison Control center to get guidelines for home remedies for stomach protectants, etc. as they need to calculate the dose asap!
i gave one tablet of ibuprofen and my dog tongue comes out and she does not eat food and approx 24 hr spend
Depending on the size of the dog, this is poisonous. Never give any human medication to your pets without consulting a veterinarian.
7# yorkie are a 200 mg Motrin (chewed it up ). Within 20 minutes had him at the vet where they induced vomiting. He seemed fine all night but today around noon threw up a small amount of yellowish vomit with food in it. Will he be ok?? They put him on a small does of prolilosec. Thank you!
Hi Kathleen, that’s about 67 mg/kg which can result in severe gastric ulcers. He should have gotten a dose of charcoal and some antivomiting medication. I’d call your vet for some antivomiting medication and maybe a stomach coater called sucralfate (100 mg/ml) for at least 5-7 days.
Hello my one year old shitzu yorkie mix about 15 pounds ate an alive tablet was 220 mg last night and I saw it so I called poison control and then they gave me a case number to go to the vet with and I went to the vent and they said when they gave her the charcoal nothing came up should I be worried I got her to the vet within 40 minutes of the incident happening . I am worried about her they kept her over night but I wanted to know if you think she will be okay ?
Hi Kayla,
I’m glad you called ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and got to your vet – this is a really dangerous dose at 32 mg/kg, which can cause ulcers and kidney failure. She needs to be kept there for at least 48 hours on IV fluids, multiple doses of charcoal, stomach protectants, and kidney blood work monitoring! Keep us posted!
Dr. Lee
They saiD her blood work was high and that they need to keep her is that normal or should I be worried ?
It depends on how high but if her kidney function is elevated, she definitely needs to be there for 24/7 IV fluids for at least 2 days
My dog who is about 15lbs and 13 weeks old ate an unspecified (large) amount of 200mg ibeprofen… within about 30min he threw up A LOT and that’s when we knew he got into it and rushed him to the vet. Is there a likelihood that he will be okay?
Yes but needs to get anti-vomiting medication, charcoal and antacids ASAP! When in doubt, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center ASAP!
is the protected coating on dual advil poisonous
No, not typically, but if really depends on how much ibuprofen you think your pet may have ingested. When in doubt, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center can calculate it for you – if it’s just a lick of the protective coating, I’m generally not concerned in dogs and cats unless they are minute/tiny.
I think my jack ate a motrin she got sick and vomited and isnt eating been like this for 3 days i thought she just wasnt feeling good. Im going to take her to the vet when they open is it too late for her and will she die if she has eaten motrin?
It depends on her weight, the size of the motrin, the active ingredient (sometimes it’s naproxen, which is way worse). She sounds like she definitely needs fluids under her skin, an injection of an antivomiting medication (and some to go home with, like Cerenia), stomach protectants, and blood work! When in doubt, you should always get to a vet IMMEDIATELY if you think your pet is poisoned, as now she’s already sick from it.
My 60 lb dog ate 1 400mg Kirkland ibuprofen. She is drinking and eating and not vomiting does she need to go to the vet???
I’m assuming you wrote ONE 400 mg ibuprofen. If it’s 1,400 mg, yes, you definitely need to go in ASAP. If it’s ONE 400 mg tablet, that’s a 14.8 mg/kg ingestion (60 pounds = 27 kgs). At that dose, it’s less likely to cause vomiting or stomach ulcers, but German shepherds are much more sensitive. I’d contact ASPCA Animal Poison Control advice for dosing of medications to treat her with at home ASAP.
Hi, Dr. Lee. My dog ate a 200mg ibuprofen pill last night. He weighs 50lbs and is 11 years old. He is in good health. I called the emergency vet clinic right away and they told me the dosage was low enough that he should be fine. He hasn’t thrown up or had any diarrhea as of yet.
This morning when I woke up I found him laying under my desk. He has not gotten up from that spot all day. I gave him water and he drank it. He wasn’t interested in food but he is a very picky eater so that is normal for him.
I am wondering what I can be doing for him right now. Should I give him an antacid? Should I be trying to entice him to eat using treats or safe human food like chicken?
That dose shouldn’t cause an issue but I worry something else is going on. I’d get bloodwork to be safe. You can try Pepcid-AC. Your vet can give you a dose!
I just came home, and my 50 lb (or so), 10 month old mastiff/boxer mix got into a lot of stuff, including a bottle of motrin, which was scattered all over the floor. it looks like he licked 2 pills, the others were untouched. I called the emergency vet, and we induced vomiting. (at home). there was some cardboard, from he egg container he mangled, a bit of food, and a couple of very small pieces of plastic from the lid he destroyed. there was no coloration of pills, nor any remnants. he has peed a couple of times, but he was in the house several hours. He seems otherwise just as bouncy as usual. any suggestions of anything else I can do tonight? I will be calling the vet in the morning. (I also saved the discharge in case they can test it.
Hi my 10 pound dachshund ate 4 or 5 200mg Advil pills. He threw up a good amount and I took him to the vet within 45 to one hour from ingestion i believe. He’s a small boy, and they’re keeping him for a couple days. I’m very worried, but hoping I got him to the vet in a good amount of time. Idk. He ate a lot, but I acted quickly.
Hi! Just wondering the outcome of your dog’s situation? My dog is in a similar situation right now and I’m very worried. Hope your dog is okay!
Hello my 78 pound Siberian husky ate 1 200mg Advil should i be concerned?
As long as you’re positive it was just ONE 200 mg, it’s only about a 5 mg/kg ingestion, so unlikely to be an issue, but when in doubt, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and your vet in case!
It was either that or 300mg
My dog is 80 lbs and he ate 2 ibuprofen 200ms two days ago he never puked or. Anything will he be okay? He don’t have bad breath nor has dark stole. He’s peeing fine and drinking water fine I’m just worried I love this dude so much.
This is a 11 mg/kg ingestion (80 pounds divided by 2.2 kgs = 36 kgs). Total ingested was 2 tablets X 200 mgs = 400 mgs.
Your dog’s ingestion is: 400 mg/36 kgs = 11 mg/kg, which thankfully is non-toxic with a one time acute ingestion. When in doubt, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center to be safe.
My lab ate 300mg of ibuprofen He weights 90lbs
Are you sure? It doesn’t normally come in this size in the USA?
My guess three 100mg tablets
I found out that 10lb dog ate a single 800mg ibuprofen on Thursday. He did throw up a bit on Friday and Saturday, but having not known he ingested an ibuprofen i assumed it was the heat so i got him into a cool room and he didn’t throw up again. Today is Monday and he seems fine. Are we passed the danger period? I had no idea this happened otherwise I would have immediately taken him in so please don’t bring that up, I am beside myself. Im taking him in tomorrow but wanted to ask as im just trying to find any answers I can in the meantime.
how long after ingesting can kidney failure occur
I have a 20 lb dog he ate a 200 mg anvil liquid gel cap and has been vomiting atleast 4 times now and isn’t acting like his normal self is this a toxic amount im on hold with poison control but still figured I would ask
I accidentally feed my dog ibuprofen, how can I treat him? Its 200 mg and he is now having multiple seizures.
I accidentally feed my dog ibuprofen, how can I treat him? Its 200 mg and he is now having multiple seizures. He is 3 months old. How can I treat him?
You can’t. Depending on the weight of your dog, you have to seek veterinary attention immediately.
Hi. My dog was hospitalized over the weekend for ibuprofen toxicity. Early Friday morning she wet the bed and while cleaning that up I found the chewed up bottle under the bed. Unfortunately because she hid the evidence, I had no idea when she’d gotten into it. She was in the hospital on IV fluids until Monday morning when her bloodwork was back to normal and they sent her home. Unfortunately the past two nights she has wet the bed again, but has otherwise been acting her normal self. I called back to the clinic where she was hospitalized but they said it’s not usually a symptom of ibuprofen toxicity and that it may be unrelated or she may just be urinating more than normal because of all the fluids she was on. I don’t think I believe it’s unrelated as she’s never had this issue before. She’s had no accidents during the day while I’m at work, only at night in her sleep. Is this normal? Will the issue go away on its own after a few more days of recovery?
That can be a sign if your dog is in kidney failure. Or unrelated, if they have urinary incontinence coincidentally. What dose did she ingest?
Almost an entire bottle of 200mg pills, but the clinic sent her home saying her bloodwork was back to normal and that she was okay… she’s also taking sucralfate, an antibiotic, and Prilosec for the next week.
My 8 month, 15 pound puppy got a hold of an Advil bottle – I heard it from the other room and while running to her heard her get the lid off. I am pretty positive she didn’t consume ANY – but what am I looking out for if she did and how long will it take to start showing? It’s been atleast 15 minutes and she’s acting totally normal. Obviously nothing is more important than her health but I am completely broke with pandemic and our emergency service is $300+. I really don’t think she got any so I’m trying to weigh my options here and be on alert but I don’t know what to look out for and for how long
You need to get to a vet immediately b/c even just 1-2 is very poisonous. The sooner you go, the sooner and CHEAPEr it’ll be to get charcoal!
I accidentally gave my dog ibuprofen. he’s 70 lbs and ingested 800mg. I gave him activated 260mg activated charcoal within 2 hours. Is he going to be ok?
If it’s only one tablet of 800 mg, that’s 25 mg/kg of an ingestion. This is GENERALLY unlikely to cause a problem but you should contact your veterinarian about dosing of Pepcid. When in doubt, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center first as sometimes charcoal can make them dehydrated.
my dog ate half a tablet of Tylenol 500mg he seem fine hasn’t thrown up yet. He’s 70lbs
Dogs don’t typically vomit the moment after ingesting medications. With poisoning cases, it’s always the dose that makes the poison. For such a large dog, that is not a poisonous Tylenol amount but that would be deadly to a cat. You always want to call ASPCA or your veterinarian to find out if it’s a poisoning danger.
My 90lb lab ate 1 200mg Ibuprofen. It was maybe just over an hour ago. He seems fine and is taking a nap and snoring. What should i do?
My 45 lb dog was given 50mg of ibuprofen because my wofe read it was safe. He had a full meal before and after induced vomitting failed, we gave him a lot more food to hopefully dilute it somewhat. The dose was so tiny Im not sure if a vet is necessary. The only thing different is about 4 hours later, he peed in one go and drank a little more in one sitting than normally. Is 50 mg for a 45 lb dog with a large meal something to worry about?
My 55 – 60 pound bulldog was given two doses of 200mg ibuprofen across two days for a total of 400 mg. He shows no signs of changes in behavior, appetite, or bathroom habits. Is there something I should give him like antacids or should I take him to the vet for bloodwork?
I would call your veterinarian to discuss antacids. When in doubt, please call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control and they can advise you on dosing, etc. also.
Hi Dr. Lee, My 30 lb aussie (1.5 years old), may have eaten 200-1000mg of ibuprofen, Friday (yesterday), around 10 AM. I didn’t notice that he may have eaten a ziplock back of pills until 5 pm later that day after I had fed him his dinner. Between 10 AM and 5 PM, he didn’t act any differently. At 5 pm when i saw the shredded ziplock bag (still containing pills but not sure if he ate any or how many) – I induced vomiting, then re-fed him dinner – give him 4-5 grams of activated charcoal, and 2 g of calcium carbonate. This morning, Saturday AM, he has normal stool, but black (but is it from the charcoal?) – he’s still acting perky. I gave him 1 g of calcium carbonate and 1.5 g of activate charcoal with his breakfast – he pooped after wards, more hard stool, but black. I’m not sure what to do? Is he okay? Its been so long at this point, and he’s not showing an symptoms of nausea, vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, etc. So I don’t know – but also can’t afford 3-5K of hospitalization… what do I do?
This is a big dose range – it can definitely cause stomach ulcers (30 lbs = 13.6 kgs). If it was a 1000 mg, it’s 1000 mg divided by 13.6 kgs which is 73.5 mg/kg. That dose can definitely cause stomach ulcers, stomach bleeding, intestinal problems, etc. I would call ASPCA Animal Poison Control center for dosing advice and care. It’ll cost $65-79 for an exam fee but includes ALL follow up calls re this case!
I have a similar situation – 27-30 lb mini Aussie border collie ate a single, crushed up ibuprofen tablet (200 mg) that my husband gave her thinking she was in pain from too long of a run. She has no symptoms yet and this was several hours ago. She ate her dinner no problem…But I am paranoid. Is this a dangerous dose? I called the vet and they said only if she starts to show symptoms then to bring her in….but doesn’t that mean it’s too late?!
Please call ASPCA APCC asap.
What are signs that my dog is recovering from renal failure. He has been lathargic for several days. He hasn’t ate or drink. He threw up one-time when he was drinking water but it was a watery substance. Doctor said his kidney is off the charts and his pancreas. He is being hospitalized with iv therapy. My wife just told me that she gave him a ibuprofen a couple days before we hospitalized him.
My dog just ate 9,200 mg of Ibuprofen the nieghboor gave her I just did the math she is at the emergency vets now she might not make it they said…
My 75 to 80 pound 6 month old Great Pyrenees ate two 200mg advil tablets, should we rush him to an emergency vet?
My dog is 1 years old and very small (about 5lb) she nibbled on a naproxen pill (about 1/16 of the pill) and she vomited 3 times, I then took her to the hospital and she had been on IV ever since (Monday late afternoon). The veterinarian says they need to keep her longer for treatment but will not tell me anything else, will she most likely make it ? Is there a chance of her living .. I am very worried. I know she is in good hands at the vet but it is very stressful to wait day after day and not knowing if she will live or not.. thank you!
It’s hard to tell how much was ingested, but thankfully treatment hopefully should work. At that dose, you can see ulcers and even kidney failure, so it sounds like your dog is on the correct treatment. Best of luck and keep us posted!
Hi! My little dog is in a similar situation right now. How did your dog make out?? I hope okay..!!
Hello, my eight month old dog ate a 200mg ibuprofen pill on accident. She weighs 26 pounds. We have tried to induce vomiting because she just ate the pill about 15 minutes ago. What should I do?
I would call ASPCA animal poison control center, for treatment recommendations at home.
My 14lb 5mth old cockatoo licked freshly applied Etoflam/Anti-inflammatory gel off my arm and then went to sleep (it is her bedtime). Should I be worried or can I assume one time of licking from skin wouldn’t do harm?
My dog hurt his leg and my brother gave him a 200mg ibuprofen blast night. It’s been 8hrs or more He hasn’t vomited and ate this morning and drank water. He is a pitbull weighs 100pounds. Is there symptoms to look out for? Should I take him to the vet still?
At this dose, it isn’t a poisoning issue.
My dog hurt her leg and we gave her 250 ml ibuprofen yesterday at noon, she started vomiting right after we gave it to her. She kept vomiting until this morning she stopped we took her to the vet but it was too expensive they didn’t give her any medication at all and still charged over $200 just to tell us she needed to be hospitalized. My dog is a schnauzer she weights 20lbs and she’s being herself rn she hasn’t vomited anymore she’s been eating well, even though we don’t give her that much food. We took her on a walk and didn’t present any diarrhea at all, everything looks fine with her but we still kind of concern something happens with her… should we be worried?
My 50lb 9 year old siberian husky ate 2 – 200mg ibuprofen when I dropped the bottle before I could grab her. I read how to induce vomiting with 3% hydrogen peroxide and about 45 minutes later after second dose of peroxide she vomited her while dinner and everything in her stomach, liquid and all. I did not find the pills though so I don’t dont if they metabolized in thst time. She seems fine at 3 hours later. Drank water and urinated.
Call the Pet Poison Hotline at 855-764-7661 and your family veterinarian immediately if you think your dog or cat has ingested any ibuprofen. They will be able to provide life-saving advice and treatment for your pet.
In my opinion, I only advocate for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. The other one you listed is for-profit vs. ASPCA, which is non-profit, and ASPCA is the only animal-focused one.
11:51 pm
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My 50lb 9 year old siberian husky ate 2 – 200mg ibuprofen when I dropped the bottle before I could grab her. I read how to induce vomiting with 3% hydrogen peroxide and about 45 minutes later after second dose of peroxide she vomited her while dinner and everything in her stomach, liquid and all. I did not find the pills though so I don’t dont if they metabolized in thst time. She seems fine at 3 hours later. Drank water and urinated.
My 3,5 kg chihuahua accidentally administered 100 mg of ibuprofen (half of a 200 mg pill) with food (it was about 23:00 yesterday. He was acting fine. when we were on a 2-hour bus ride this morning, ha vomited about 5 times, which I attributed to motion sickness. i only realized today that at about 13:00 that he ate the ibuprofen and rushed him to the vet. The vet examined him (without taking the bloodwork), gave him some charcoal and prescribed us some more charcoal to give at home. She said to monitor his state and if he’s fine – he should be ok.
So far, he seems to be fine.
I’m extremely worried and don’t know if this treatment was enough.
Could you please advise me on this.
That is a 67 mg/kg ingestion and is definitely a toxic dose which can result in clinical signs of stomach ulcers/bleeding. Sounds like your vet did what was good and that your dog will need stomach protectants for a week or so!
Hi my 10 pound Australian cattle dog puppy spit out one 200mg Ibuprofen hardly any of it was gone but im not sure if he ate more there was some white powdery stuff on the floor next to my bed so im not sure if he got into more but this was on December 28th when we didn’t have the money to take him to the vet and we forgot to bring it up last time we took him to the vet because he hasn’t shown any symptoms but i read it could take 2-3 months for symptoms to show should I be worried?
If it was over a monty ago, your dog is unlikely to have an issue – especially at that dose! Your dog should be ok but when in doubt, get to a vet if you notice any problems!
I believe my dog may have ate a 200 mg Advil, but we’re not sure. This happened around 2 p.m and it is not 10 and he is still his happy energetic self. Should I worry for symptoms to come or does it seem like he didn’t take the pill after all?
Depending on the weight of your dog, this can be poisonous so please call asap as you didn’t include your dog’s weight.
He is about 8 lbs, it’s been more than 12 hours and he hasn’t shown any symptoms. Would he show symptoms later on or is it looking like my puppy didn’t actually take the pill?
I think our puppy (10kg) licked my sleeve which may have had Voltoral 2% on it. It was 15 hours ago this morning and to be honest didn’t realize it was so serious. He’s in good form, nothing obvious. Maybe poop a little than darker than normal but he does eat everything. What would you recommend? I wish I had know or I known or never would have even bought a cream that can be so dangerous
One single lick is unlikely to be an issue, but when in doubt, I’d call your local ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or even your vet!
Thanks so much for your response!
My around 20 pound cavapoo ate 200 mg of Motrin. We called the vet within 5 minutes if him eating it and he is now on his way to the emergency room. Do you think he will be ok?
As long as you are positive it is only 1, 200 mg tablet. Are you sure it’s Motrin IBUPROFEN vs. Motrin naproxen? That would change things. If it’s ibuprofen, it’d be a 22 mg/kg ingestion, and only result in mild stomach upset, but worth seeing a vet.
My 30 pound husky ate a ibuprofen kids Motrin 100mg should I rush her to the vet?
My 100lb German Shepard had a 500mg ibuprofen is this deadly please tell me
For all you people asking for free advice in the middle of the night when this post isn’t checked 24/7, you MUST call ASPCA Animal Poison Control, as now you’ve missed the window to induce vomiting. Please always call for advise, esp since German Shepherds are much more sensitive to NSAIDs to other breeds.
My 27lb cavapoo ate 1 x 500mg Naproxen tablet. Vet made her sick around 50 minutes later, gave her charcoal and will keep her on fluids for the next 48 hours. With such a large dose I am wondering and worried about how this will affect her.
This is a 42 mg/kg dose of naproxen, which is super poisonous – the 48 hours is typically sufficient as long as her blood work and kidney function is normal! She should be on stomach protectants too for at least 7-10 days too and have follow up blood work done.
My toy cavoodle (6kg) ate 2 and half 200g nurofen tablets. We didn’t realise it was so toxic till 8 hours later. She is now at the vet for 48 hours Iv fluids . Do you think she will be ok.
MY 7.4LBS MINI POODLE GOT AHOLD OF A SMALL BAG OF ibuprofen that was in my sister’s purse. When we saw her she had one of them out and had licked some of the coating off. She didn’t chew any of them up. We are unsure if she swallowed any. She typically will only play with stuff and not eat it. We have her hydrogen perioxde to induce vomiting and she threw up 3 times no pill in site. We did see a small amount of dye from the coating, but no pill. She is acting normal and is eating. I did give her some pepcid to help coat her stomach just in case. Should I still take her to the vet. It is Sunday and none are open close to me.
I’d get to a vet as your dog is very small!!!
is your dog okay now or did you end up taking her to a hospital?
Hi Dr. Lee, my 24 lb Pomeranian punctured and licked about 100mg of ibuprofen liquid gel. I contacted aspca and they said that he should be fine with supervision at home. Six hours after ingestion, he seems fine, but he has bad breath. Is this enough to take him to the vet? They didn’t really specify if the dosage he took was really toxic or not. Thank you for your time.
Are you sure it’s 100 mg liquid gel? It normally comes in 200 mg. If it’s 100 mg divided by a 10kg dog (24 pounds), that’s a 10 mg/kg ingestion which is not toxic. Breath wouldn’t change acutely with poisoning (unless it was from kidney failure a few days later), but not at this dose. YOu can call back free to the ASPCA as long as you have a case number!
Best,
Justine
Hi Dr. Lee, thank you so much for responding, I really appreciate it. I just wanted to clarify and update. Yes, it was a 200 mg clear gel cap he punctured, but he only licked about half of the liquid inside, as the other half was spilled on the floor. Thankfully I called aspca right away and they were able to give some guidance, I just wasn’t too clear on how toxic it was. Another vet I consulted online reassured me the dosage wouldn’t cause any problems, and after reading your comment I was even more reassured. The bad breath went away, I started him on 10 mg of pepcid, and after two days he hasn’t had any issues. Thank you! 🙂
Hi,
My 50 black lab ingested a single 400mg tablet of ibuprofen, i took her to the emergency vet and they said it is unlikely to be a problem but to monitor her, if she is panting occassionally should I bring her back?
That is a 18 mg/kg ingestion, and I typically don’t get worried until double that. Not sure if they inducing vomiting and she’s panting from that, or if you gave her hydrogen peroxide (which can cause gastritis and heartburn), so I’d confirm with the emergency vet.
Thank you so much. I have been so worried.
@justinlee question, how long should I monitor my dog after ibuprofen ingestion? Today she has been periodically panting and i just want to nake sure shes okay.
My dog ate 3 pills (each one 550mg ibuprofen). She weights 6 kilos and she ate them by accident when I was not at home. I visited veterinary already and tomorrow she starts one medication therapy. I’m still afraid because the dose was very big. I need one additional opinion!
That is a massive amount – 275 mg/kg, which is a dose that causes kidney failure and can cause severe gastric ulcers. I would consult the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, and make sure she is on IV fluids aggressively for at least 48 hours to flush out the kidneys – along with anti vomiting medication, stomach protectants, etc.
Hello,
My 4 month old 24lb. Standard Poodle just ate half of a 100mg Childrens chewable ibuprofen. I’m on hold with the ASPCA poison control but I’m wondering if it’s really necessary. Please advise.
My 90 lbs pit got into the Children’s Motrin it only had about 10 mg in it he isn’t throwing up or any of the symptoms stated but he has been getting bruised whenever our German Shepherd jumps on him lately i need to know if those things are related because he never bruised like this before
While 10 mg for a 90 pound pit isn’t poisonous, chronically it can be (if you were giving it every day for a long time). That said, bruising is NOT normal and I’d get to a vet for a platelet and clotting test check right away!
My dog ate a 50mg tablet of Diclofenac Sodium – I’ve been on hold for the ASPCA for over 20 minutes, does anyone know if there is something I can do?
my 4 month old puppy who weighs about 10-15 pounds got into my ibuprofen bottle and i don’t think she ate any but i know she licked some and she vomits almost every two hours but still is very much herself, she still wants to eat, drink her water and play. is it possible to wait until it’s out of her system or anything else i can do since i am not able to afford a vet bill right now
Comment *what about tylenol with dogs? My 40lb dog ate one tylenol about 2 hours ago
It depends on what size Tylenol and if there are other ingredients in it. In the USA, Tylenol is USUALLY 325 mg tablets, but sometimes it’s lower or higher. If your dog is 40 pounds (divided by 2.2 = 18 kgs), that would be an 18 mg/kg potential ingestion, which is not poisonous acutely. That said, always best to check with the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center which is available 24/7 or your vet, as if your pet has underlying medical conditions, other medications they are on, etc., it could affect things.
Please help! I didn’t know ibuprofen was toxic until this morning and I gave my 1 year old 42lb dog a 200mg tablet for two nights (3/16&3/14). I don’t see any symptoms in her yet, but I don’t want to wait too long if it will cause problems for her in the future.
My Great Pyrenees who is one in a couple month and weighs around 90lbs ate a kids 100mg ibuprofen. I am not at my house to administer anything to make him vomit.
My Great Pyrenees who is one in a couple month and weighs around 90lbs ate a kids 100mg ibuprofen. I am not at my house to administer anything to make him vomit. What should I do?
my dog ate a whole bottle 15-20 min ago she weighs maybe 60 or 70 pounds and her name is nugget and she is such a good girl. The pills where 200 milligrams and there were like maybe 15-20 pills. Is she going to die?
Comment * our 38 lb pug may have ate an ibuprofen 800 but we’re not sure, she was alone in the room where the pill came up missing, and it was originally 2 pills side by side an only 1 is missing Im not sure what to think, shes not acting different but I cant find the pill. I cant afford a bet bill, Im on a fixed income but shes my dog WHAT TO DO??!!!!
My 12 lb Shih-Poo, consumed around 4/5ths of a 200 mg Advil pill. We found the bottle chewed and scrambled to see how many she had eaten, and we got a total of 9 pills and the remnants of the 10th (it was a 10 count bottle). We made her throw up and in it we found small pieces of the ibuprofen. so far she has not shown any symptoms, but I am unsure as to what I should do.
Comment *My 12 lb Shih-Poo, consumed around 4/5ths of a 200 mg Advil pill. We found the bottle chewed and scrambled to see how many she had eaten, and we got a total of 9 pills and the remnants of the 10th (it was a 10 count bottle). We made her throw up and in it, we found small pieces of the ibuprofen. so far she has not shown any symptoms, but I am unsure as to what I should do.
Hello, my two 70 lb dogs (mixed breed) ate approximately ten 800mg ibuprofen tablets. We’re on our way to the emergency vet but neither have vomited. Is there anything we can/should do prior to arriving at the ER? I’m worried about long term damage.
They definitely need to have vomiting induced asap as this could be a life-threatening amount at 258 mg/kg, which can cause kidney failure. They’ll need a few doses of charcoal, hospitalization, aggressive IV fluids and blood work monitoring but hopefully will be OK in 48 hours! Keep us posted and thinking well wishes for your two!
Comment *my dog is a 72lb black lab, she just ate 200mg of ibuprofen (Tylenol) maybe 30 minutes ago, and of course has shown no signs of poisoning yet. Our vet said that she will most likely be fine, but I’m still concerned. Does anyone have any advice?
When in doubt, you can call the ASPCA APCC but at 72 pounds (32 kgs) and if you’re sure it’s only ONE 200 mg tablet, that’s < 10 mg/kg ingestion, so she should be fine!
I gave my My 10-12 lb yorkie 100 mg of children’s Motrin he has committed about 5 time first two were chuncky and the rest were watery. Is it a good sign that he’s vomiting do I take him to the vet in the morning ?
I would call your vet to get further info. If you are 100% positive it was only one 100 mg tablet, it’s not a dose that should be of concern but can cause some gastritis and vomiting.
Comment *My 40 pound golden doodle ate one 800 mg Advil tablet. Is this amount poisonous?
Right at the borderline dose so worth calling ASPCA APCC.
My 12lb chihuahua might have ate a 200mg ibuprofen, i kind of think he didnt but he might have. Is this going to cause a problem?
Our family dog took 800mg ibuprofen, he is a large dog (Shepard and Belgian M) he was fine for a few days but he’s now having seizures every five minutes and in ICU. Do you think he will be able to come out of this?
That’s likely not related to the cause of the seizures. I am having severe cluster seizures is likely due to something else going on. Even if he is an 80 pound dog, the amount of ibuprofen he got into isn’t poisonous if it was just one tablet.
16 pound puppy got a hold of a 800mg ibuprofen tablet. Was left untreated for several hours. What would be the outcome if not brought to a vet? (I don’t know the full story).
Disclaimer: not my dog
Could develop severe stomach ulcers and depending on the amount and underlying history – possible rare kidney injury.
My 15 lbs dog had 50mg if advil is she ok?
Yes, this is 7 mg/kg of an ingestion. Shouldn’t be an issue as long as you’re sure it was just that amount. When it out, call your veterinarian, emergency, veterinarian, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Yes! Thank you so much!
My 31Kg border collie/ Doberman just ate two (200mg) ibuprofens so 400mg altogether. Will she be okay? I was so careless to leave them on the counter.. didn’t even think she’d want to eat those but I’m never making that mistake again..
This is a 13 mg/kg ingestion and honestly is generally considered non-toxic if your dog is healthy othwrwise. To be safe, I would call your vet and ASPCA, but this does doesn’t worry me.
My dog got into a brand new bottle of 600mg ibuprofen! I counted the bottle and theres 3 pills missing! thats 1800 mg he weighs 60 pounds! He had to of got into it before i kenneled him to go to work , i worked 12 hours and seen bottle under table when i got home !