Can I give Ibuprofen to my dog?

The short answer: **Absolutely not**

Ibuprofen is highly toxic to dogs and should never be given from your own medicine supply. Even a single human-strength tablet can cause gastrointestinal ulceration, acute kidney injury, and central nervous system signs in a medium-sized dog. Unlike paracetamol, there is no safe dog dose of ibuprofen — the toxic threshold is near or below the therapeutic range.

Why ibuprofen is dangerous for dogs

Ibuprofen inhibits COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. Dogs have a much narrower margin between therapeutic and toxic doses than humans, and they are particularly prone to:

• Gastric ulceration and GI bleeding — ibuprofen strips the protective mucosal layer
• Acute kidney injury — prostaglandins are essential for renal blood flow in dogs
• CNS depression and seizures at high doses
• Liver toxicity with chronic or large exposures

Toxic doses in dogs

• >8 mg/kg: GI ulceration possible
• >25 mg/kg: renal injury likely
• >100 mg/kg: severe GI bleeding, neurological signs
• >175 mg/kg: potentially fatal without aggressive treatment
• A single 200 mg ibuprofen tablet = 20 mg/kg for a 10 kg dog — already in the GI-ulcer zone

What to use instead

All the same dog-safe NSAIDs as for paracetamol questions:

• Carprofen (Rimadyl) — first-line in many vet practices
• Meloxicam (Metacam)
• Firocoxib
• Deracoxib

For chronic pain, gabapentin or amantadine adjuncts can reduce NSAID requirements.

If a dog ingests ibuprofen

• Call a veterinarian or animal poison control immediately
• Do not wait for symptoms — toxicity often develops 2–6 hours after ingestion
• Treatment: induced emesis (if within 2 hours), activated charcoal, IV fluids to protect kidneys, misoprostol or sucralfate for GI protection, and monitoring of renal and hepatic function for 48–72 hours

Clinical sources

• Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ibuprofen toxicity entry.
• ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center data.
• Dunayer EK. "Ibuprofen toxicosis in dogs, cats, and ferrets." Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract (PMID: 15002779).
• Khan SA, McLean MK. "Toxicology of frequently encountered nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in dogs and cats." Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract.

Bottom line

Ibuprofen is a common cause of pet poisoning. Never give it to your dog. If accidental ingestion occurs, treat it as an emergency — waiting for symptoms often means it's already too late to prevent kidney damage.

Keep all human pain medications out of reach of pets, and never share your prescription with an animal.