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Dog Ibuprofen Poisoning

Veterinarian Reviewed on April 1, 2014 by Dr. Janice Huntingford

Dog Ibuprofen Poisoning

Ibuprofen is one of the most popular pain relievers and OTC medications that are available on the market today. Unfortunately it is not as effective in dogs as it is in humans. In fact, Ibuprofen can rapidly approach toxic levels in your dog when it would not even treat your own headache!

Causes of Ibuprofen Poisoning

Treating a dog with ibuprofen is one of the most common causes of ibuprofen toxicity in dogs, but there are well known and documented cases of dogs that find the bottle and simply chew on it – which then opens it, which is more common of course in younger dogs and puppies.

As dogs age, they are sometimes afflicted with Dog Arthritis and joint pains and other problems which are readily noticeable to the dog owner. Enter the well meaning person who simply wants to give relief to their dog but has no idea of the proper dosage to avoid offering a toxic one.

Signs and Symptoms

Initially the effect of the ibuprofen will quite likely be a stomach ulcer in your dog. More importantly than this, if you continue to feed the dog ibuprofen, the result will be fatal Dog Kidney Disease if you don’t seek out intervention from a vet.

If your dog has been given or has accidentally taken ibuprofen, your best bet is to get the advice and treatment of a veterinarian immediately.

If, as is sometimes the case, you’re not certain that your dog ingested the medication, you will want to watch out for certain symptoms.

The symptoms that you may notice in your dog, if he has indeed ingested Ibuprofen that will make you want to seek out the help of a specialist are:

  • Blackened or tar colored stools(indicative of bleeding internally)
  • Bloody vomit
  • Pain or obvious distress in the abdomen
  • Weak or apathetic behavior.

These signs may appear as rapidly as 10-12 hours after the ingestion but may take as long as five days to appear.
Your dog may also be affected by seizures and other things associated with the ingestion of the ibuprofen. If you suspect that your dog has eaten ibuprofen, you can give them a dose of activated charcoal such as may be given in humans. If they have not ingested the ibuprofen, the activated charcoal will not do them any harm, but it may be very helpful if they have done so.

Any time that you suspect that your dog may have taken a toxic substance, it is better to be safe and call your vet for their knowledgeable advice. He or she can tell you what to watch for and which signals will tell you to bring your dog in to be seen by them.

Read also: Dog Gastritis
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Our Expert

Dr. Janice Huntingford
Janice Huntingford, DVM, has been in veterinary practice for over 30 years and has founded two veterinary clinics since receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. She has studied extensively in both conventional and holistic modalities. Ask Dr. Jan

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