Ketoprofen: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Anti-inflammatory

Also known as

Ketofen, Anafen

Species with doses

Dogs, Cats, Cattle, Horses, Goats, Sheep, Pigs, Birds, Rabbits, Ferrets and Primates

General dose range

1–3 mg/kg IV q24h — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

SC, PO, IV, IM

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• Acute musculoskeletal pain and inflammation
• Pyrexia (bovine respiratory disease, mastitis)
• Post-operative / post-trauma pain (short course)
• Equine colic-associated visceral pain (adjunct)

Ketoprofen 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

• Acute pain / inflammation: Papich 5e: single dose 2 mg/kg SC, IM or IV. Plumb’s p.703 (Ketofen label): 2 mg/kg SC, IM or IV once daily for up to 3 days, or one injection followed by tablets at 1 mg/kg/day — total course up to 5 days. Do not combine with other NSAIDs or corticosteroids.
• Oral follow-on after injection: Papich 5e: multiple-dose 1 mg/kg q24h PO for up to 5 days. Plumb’s p.703 (label): 1 mg/kg PO once daily for 4 more days after the first injection.
• Chronic pain (low dose): Plumb’s p.703 (Ketofen tablets label): chronic pain 0.25 mg/kg PO once daily for up to 30 days. Papich 5e: lower to 0.25 mg/kg once daily for longer treatment (better safety profile).

Cats

• Acute pain: Papich 5e: single dose 2 mg/kg SC, IM or IV. Plumb’s p.703: 2 mg/kg SC once daily for up to 3 days, or one injection then 1 mg/kg PO daily — up to 5 days in total (label); 1 mg/kg PO or SC once daily for up to 5 days, or 2 mg/kg SC once (Duncan 2007).
• Oral follow-on after injection: Papich 5e and Plumb’s p.703 (label): 1 mg/kg PO once daily for up to 4 days after the injection.

Cattle

• Inflammation / pyrexia (BRD, mastitis): Plumb’s p.703 (UK label): 3 mg/kg IV or deep IM once daily for up to 3 days; withdrawal meat 4 days, milk 0 days. Papich 5e: cattle and small ruminants 3 mg/kg/day IV or IM for up to 3 days. Extra-label US use (Walz 2006): 3.3 mg/kg, withdrawal milk 24 h, meat 7 days — verify the local label.

Horses

• Musculoskeletal / visceral pain: Plumb’s p.703 (Ketofen label): 2.2 mg/kg (1 mL/100 lb) IV once daily for up to 5 days; laminitis adjunct 2.2 mg/kg IV once daily. Papich 5e: 2.2–3.3 mg/kg/day IV or IM. ARCI Class 4.

Goats

• Inflammation / pyrexia: Papich 5e: cattle and small ruminants 3 mg/kg/day IV or IM for up to 3 days. Obtain a withdrawal from the local label or FARAD.

Sheep

• Inflammation / pyrexia: Papich 5e: cattle and small ruminants 3 mg/kg/day IV or IM for up to 3 days. Obtain a withdrawal from the local label or FARAD.

Pigs

• Miniature/pet pig — pain / inflammation: Carpenter Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 12-5 (p.669): miniature pigs 1–3 mg/kg PO/SC/IM q24h, or 3 mg/kg PO/SC/IM/IV q24h; up to 5 days.
• Inflammation / pyrexia: Plumb’s p.703 (UK label): 3 mg/kg IM once daily for up to 3 days; meat withdrawal 4 days. Papich 5e: pigs 3 mg/kg/day PO, IV or IM.

Buffalo

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

• Inflammation / pyrexia (BRD, mastitis): Plumb’s p.703 (UK label): 3 mg/kg IV or deep IM once daily for up to 3 days; withdrawal meat 4 days, milk 0 days. Papich 5e: cattle and small ruminants 3 mg/kg/day IV or IM for up to 3 days. Extra-label US use (Walz 2006): 3.3 mg/kg, withdrawal milk 24 h, meat 7 days — verify the local label.

Birds

• Anti-inflammatory analgesia: Plumb’s p.703: 2 mg/kg IM or SC q8–24h (Clyde & Paul-Murphy 2000; Echols 2008).

Rabbits

• Pain / inflammation: Plumb’s p.703: rabbits 1 mg/kg IM q12–24h for chronic pain (Ivey & Morrisey 2000); 3 mg/kg IM, lasting 12–24 h (Flecknell 2008).

Ferrets

• Post-operative analgesia: Plumb’s p.703 (Lichtenberger 2008): 1–2 mg/kg q24h (route not stated; SC or IM as for cats).

Primates

• Pain / inflammation (monkeys): Carpenter Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 13-5 (p.701): chimpanzees/monkeys 2 mg/kg IM/IV q24h; monkeys 5 mg/kg IM q24h; prosimians 2 mg/kg PO/SC/IM/IV then reduce to 1 mg/kg q24h.

Contraindications

GI ulceration, renal / hepatic impairment, dehydration, bleeding disorders. Pre-operative use (platelet inhibition). Concurrent corticosteroid / other NSAID. Caution in pregnancy.

Adverse effects

• GI ulceration, vomiting, melaena
• Renal injury with volume depletion
• Prolonged bleeding time

Drug interactions

• Other NSAIDs / corticosteroids: greatly increased GI ulceration and bleeding risk — do not combine
• Anticoagulants and other antiplatelet drugs: additive bleeding risk (ketoprofen is a strong platelet inhibitor)
• ACE inhibitors / diuretics: reduced effect and additive nephrotoxicity in dehydrated animals
• Aminoglycosides: additive renal toxicity

Pregnancy and lactation

Avoid in pregnancy (especially late gestation — prostaglandin inhibition affects parturition and the foetal ductus) and in breeding animals unless benefit clearly outweighs risk.

Monitoring

• Renal values and hydration before and during therapy
• PCV / signs of GI bleeding (melaena, anaemia) on multi-day courses
• Strict adherence to the short maximum-duration limits, especially in cats
• Food-animal milk and meat withdrawal times

Toxicity and overdose

Overdose causes GI ulceration / haemorrhage, acute kidney injury and prolonged bleeding. Cats are particularly sensitive to NSAID toxicity and require strict dose / duration limits.

Management: Discontinue; aggressive GI protection (omeprazole, sucralfate, misoprostol), IV fluids for renal support, and transfusion / supportive care if significant haemorrhage. Monitor PCV, renal values and faeces. No specific antidote.

Clinical pearls

• Strong platelet inhibitor — stop before any elective surgery and avoid in bleeding patients
• Excellent antipyretic for febrile cattle (BRD, acute mastitis) alongside antibiotics
• Keep canine / feline courses short (3–5 days) and ensure the patient is well hydrated

Mechanism of action

Propionic-acid NSAID. Non-selectively inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2, reducing prostaglandin synthesis to produce analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects. The non-selectivity confers potent efficacy but also the classic NSAID risks (GI, renal, antiplatelet); it additionally has some lipoxygenase / bradykinin-modulating activity contributing to analgesia.

Formulations and products

• Ketofen 100 mg/mL injection (large animal)
• Ketofen 10 mg/mL injection (small animal)
• Ketofen 5 mg tablet
• Ketofen 20 mg tablet
• Ketofen (Ceva) — 1 % and 10 % injection; 5 / 20 mg tablets, Injection / tablet
• Ketoprofen (generic) — 50 / 100 mg, Capsule / SR tablet (human-label)

Storage

Store at 15–25 °C, protect injectable from light; do not freeze.

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

• Firocoxib
• Flunixin Meglumine
• Grapiprant
• Isoflupredone Acetate
• Mavacoxib
• Meloxicam
• Methylprednisolone Acetate
• Nimesulide

Frequently asked questions