Carprofen: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Anti-inflammatory

Also known as

Rimadyl, Novocox, Vetprofen, Norocarp

Species with doses

Dogs, Cats, Cattle, Horses, Pigs, Birds, Rabbits, Reptiles, Chinchillas, Rats, Hedgehogs, Sugar gliders and Primates

General dose range

2.2–4.4 mg/kg PO q12–24h — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

PO, SC, IV

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• Canine post-operative / chronic musculoskeletal pain
• Feline single-dose perioperative analgesia (Europe-licensed; cautious USA use)
• Bovine acute respiratory inflammation (UK label, calves <12 mo)
• Equine musculoskeletal inflammation (UK label)
• Avian / reptile analgesia (extra-label)

Carprofen dose by species

Doses are per administration unless stated. mg/kg doses scale with body weight; per-animal, per-quarter and infusion-rate doses are shown as the reference writes them.

Dogs

• Anti-inflammatory / analgesia (label): Papich 5e and Plumb’s p.200 (Rimadyl label): 4.4 mg/kg PO or SC once daily, or 2.2 mg/kg q12h; round to the nearest half caplet. Monitor liver enzymes (idiosyncratic hepatopathy) and GI/renal tolerance.
• Surgical pain: Plumb’s p.200: surgical pain 4 mg/kg PO, IM or SC once (Boothe); label — give about 2 h before the procedure (injectable dosed as oral, SC). Non-surgical pain 2.2 mg/kg PO q12–24h.

Cats

• Surgical pain (single dose, Europe/extra-label USA): Plumb’s p.200: 1–4 mg/kg SC pre- or post-operatively, analgesia 12–18 h; 1–2 mg/kg gives similar efficacy more safely (Robertson & Lascelles); ≤2 mg/kg lean weight SC once at induction (Mathews). Papich 5e: 4 mg/kg once by injection; long-term 0.5 mg/kg q24h PO (safety not established). Avoid repeat dosing in cats.

Cattle

• Acute inflammation in calves <12 mo (UK label): Papich 5e and Plumb’s p.200 (UK label): young cattle 1.4 mg/kg IV or SC once as an adjunct for acute respiratory inflammation; slaughter withdrawal 21 days; not for cows producing milk for human consumption.

Horses

• Anti-inflammatory (UK label): Plumb’s p.200 (UK label): 0.7 mg/kg IV once, then 0.7 mg/kg PO granules with feed for up to 4–9 days by response. Papich 5e: 0.7 mg/kg q24h IV. ARCI Class 4.

Pigs

• Miniature/pet pig — pain / inflammation: Carpenter Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 12-5 (p.668): miniature pigs 2–3 mg/kg PO/SC/IM q12h, or 4 mg/kg PO q24h, or 1–4.4 mg/kg SC q24h.

Buffalo

No buffalo-specific doses are on file, so buffalo are dosed as cattle.

• Acute inflammation in calves <12 mo (UK label): Papich 5e and Plumb’s p.200 (UK label): young cattle 1.4 mg/kg IV or SC once as an adjunct for acute respiratory inflammation; slaughter withdrawal 21 days; not for cows producing milk for human consumption.

Birds

• Anti-inflammatory / analgesia: Plumb's p.201: 1–4 mg/kg IM/IV/PO; 1 mg/kg SC improved walking in lame chickens (Paul-Murphy 2003).

Rabbits

• Chronic joint pain: Plumb's p.200 (Ivey & Morrisey 2000): rabbits — 2.2 mg/kg PO q12h; general small-mammal 1–4 mg/kg PO/SC q12–24h (Bays 2006).

Reptiles

• Pain / inflammation: Plumb's p.201 (Bays 2006): 1–4 mg/kg IV/IM/SC/PO q24–72h. Longer interval reflects slow reptile metabolism.

Chinchillas

• Pain / inflammation: Plumb's p.200 (Adamcak & Otten 2000): chinchillas 4 mg/kg SC once daily.

Rats

• Pain / inflammation: Plumb's p.200 (Adamcak & Otten 2000): rats 5 mg/kg SC or 5–10 mg/kg PO.

Hedgehogs

• Pain / inflammation: Carpenter Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 8-6 (p.518): hedgehogs 1 mg/kg PO/SC q12–24h.

Sugar gliders

• Pain / inflammation: Carpenter Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7-4 (p.500): sugar gliders 2 mg/kg PO q12h; or 4 mg/kg SC initial then 2 mg/kg SC q24h ×2 doses.

Primates

• Pain / inflammation (monkeys, marmosets): Carpenter Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 13-5 (p.701): chimpanzees/monkeys 2 mg/kg PO q12h; New World monkeys/marmosets/lemurs 2–4 mg/kg PO/SC q12–24h; macaques 3–4 mg/kg IV/SC once preoperatively.

Contraindications

Bleeding disorders (e.g. von Willebrand). Prior NSAID hypersensitivity. Use with caution in geriatric patients, IBD, renal or hepatic insufficiency, dehydration / hypovolaemia. Repeat dosing in cats not recommended (USA) — risk of renal injury.

Species-specific warnings

Dogs: Approved for OA and surgical pain at 2 mg/kg PO q12h. Watch for idiosyncratic hepatopathy in Labradors — baseline + 2-week + 4-week ALT.

Cats: NOT labelled in US for repeat dosing — robenacoxib or meloxicam single-dose preferred. If used in cat, single 1–2 mg/kg SC peri-op only.

Horses: NOT typical equine product — phenylbutazone or flunixin preferred. Carprofen used extra-label at 0.7 mg/kg IV/PO q24h for OA.

Cattle: EU label exists at 1.4 mg/kg IV/SC. US: extra-label. Withdrawal periods vary — verify per jurisdiction.

Adverse effects

• GI: vomiting, diarrhoea, inappetence (incidence <2%)
• Hepatocellular damage (rare, ~0.05%) — possibly idiosyncratic
• Renal injury (esp. dehydration / pre-existing CKD)
• GI ulceration / haemorrhage at high doses or prolonged use
• Cats: drug accumulation with repeat dosing

Drug interactions

• Other NSAIDs (meloxicam, flunixin, aspirin): additive GI ulceration / renal toxicity — DO NOT stack. Washout 5–7 days between switches.
• Corticosteroids: synergistic GI ulceration — avoid concurrent. If steroid is essential, switch from NSAID and washout.
• ACE inhibitors (enalapril, benazepril): may blunt antihypertensive effect; additive renal risk
• Furosemide / diuretics: additive renal hypoperfusion risk
• Aminoglycosides / cyclosporine: additive nephrotoxicity
• Anticoagulants: increased bleeding risk
• Methotrexate: decreased clearance — toxicity

Pregnancy and lactation

AVOID — NSAIDs cross placenta, can cause premature closure of fetal ductus arteriosus and delay parturition. Excreted in milk in low concentrations. Use alternatives in pregnant and lactating bitches.

Monitoring

• Baseline CBC, biochemistry (BUN, creatinine, ALT, ALP, total protein), urinalysis
• Repeat biochem + urine at 2–4 weeks then every 3–6 months on chronic dosing
• Hepatic enzymes — discontinue if ALT/ALP rise >2× baseline
• Watch for GI signs (vomiting, anorexia, melaena) — discontinue at first sign
• Concurrent medication review at every visit
• Owner education: report appetite loss, vomiting, jaundice, dark urine immediately

Toxicity and overdose

Idiosyncratic hepatopathy in dogs (rare but well documented, especially Labrador Retrievers) — acute hepatocellular injury within 1–4 weeks of starting therapy. GI ulceration / perforation, acute kidney injury (especially with hypovolaemia / concurrent ACE-I or diuretic). Overdose >20 mg/kg: severe GI ulceration, AKI. Cats: more sensitive — not labelled in many countries; if used, single low dose only.

Management: Decontamination if <2 h post-ingestion: induce emesis (apomorphine 0.03 mg/kg IV), activated charcoal 1–2 g/kg, repeat charcoal q4–6h × 24 h. Aggressive IV fluid diuresis (1.5–2× maintenance) × 48–72 h. GI protection: misoprostol 2–5 µg/kg PO q8h + omeprazole 1 mg/kg PO q12h + sucralfate 0.5–1 g PO q6–8h. Monitor BUN, creatinine, ALT, urinalysis, CBC daily × 5 days. Hepatopathy: supportive — SAMe / silymarin, IV fluids, nutritional support.

Clinical pearls

• Canine OA: 2 mg/kg PO q12h or 4 mg/kg PO q24h with food
• Peri-operative: 2–4 mg/kg SC pre-op then continue PO post-op × 3–5 days
• Labrador Retriever idiosyncratic hepatopathy: ALT screen at 2 weeks then 4 weeks — discontinue if rising
• Cats: not labelled in US for repeat dosing; single dose 1–2 mg/kg SC for peri-op only (controversial — use robenacoxib instead)
• Discontinue 5–7 days before any planned surgery to allow COX recovery
• GI tolerance generally better than older NSAIDs — but still avoid in dehydrated / hypotensive patients
• Owner education essential: NSAID = side-effect monitoring, hydration, no stacking with steroid or other NSAID

Mechanism of action

Propionic acid NSAID. Preferential COX-2 inhibitor in dogs (~6× selectivity COX-2 over COX-1 at therapeutic doses) — reduces prostaglandin-mediated inflammation, pain, pyrexia while relatively sparing gastric and renal housekeeping prostaglandins. Half-life ~8–12 h in dogs allows q12h or q24h dosing. Approved for canine osteoarthritis and peri-operative pain — one of the longest-standing veterinary NSAIDs with decades of safety data.

Formulations and products

• Rimadyl 25 mg caplet/chewable
• Rimadyl 75 mg caplet/chewable
• Rimadyl 100 mg caplet/chewable
• Rimadyl injection 50 mg/mL

Storage

Tablets / caplets: 15–30 °C, dry, protected from light. Injection: 15–30 °C, protect from light. Multidose vial: discard 28 days after broaching.

Before you use this dose

Reference doses for veterinary professionals. Confirm the dose against the product label, the patient’s condition, current guidance and local regulations before use; the attending veterinarian remains responsible for every clinical decision.

Other anti-inflammatory drugs

• Deracoxib
• Dexamethasone
• Diclofenac
• Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)
• Firocoxib
• Flunixin Meglumine
• Grapiprant
• Isoflupredone Acetate

Frequently asked questions