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)