Nimesulide: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Anti-inflammatory

Also known as

Nimulid, Nise, Nimica

General dose range

2–5 mg/kg PO q12–24h (short course) — check the species tables for the indication

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• No established/validated veterinary indication — included for awareness
• (Off-label canine pain/inflammation/pyrexia where used — but licensed vet NSAIDs are preferred)

Nimesulide 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

• No reference dose for this species: Neither Papich 5e nor Plumb’s has a nimesulide monograph or any veterinary dose. Use a licensed NSAID (meloxicam, carprofen, robenacoxib).

Contraindications

Cats (NSAID sensitivity). Hepatic disease (hepatotoxicity concern), GI ulceration, renal disease, dehydration, bleeding disorders, concurrent corticosteroids/other NSAIDs. Pregnancy. Children (human regulatory ban — relevant handling note). Known NSAID hypersensitivity. Prefer licensed veterinary NSAIDs.

Species-specific warnings

Cats: Do not use — feline NSAID sensitivity plus nimesulide's hepatotoxicity risk. Use feline-licensed NSAIDs at feline doses.

Dogs: Prefer licensed veterinary NSAIDs; nimesulide lacks veterinary safety data and carries a hepatotoxicity concern.

Adverse effects

• Hepatotoxicity (a particular concern with nimesulide)
• GI ulceration, vomiting, melaena
• Acute kidney injury
• Bleeding (platelet effects)

Drug interactions

• Other NSAIDs / corticosteroids: increased GI ulceration/hepatic/renal risk
• Other hepatotoxic drugs: additive hepatotoxicity
• ACE inhibitors / diuretics / aminoglycosides: increased nephrotoxicity
• Anticoagulants: increased bleeding

Pregnancy and lactation

Avoid — NSAID fetal effects plus no veterinary safety profile.

Monitoring

• Liver enzymes (hepatotoxicity is the signature concern)
• Renal values and GI signs (melaena, vomiting)
• Strongly consider switching to a licensed veterinary NSAID

Toxicity and overdose

Beyond the usual NSAID GI/renal toxicity, nimesulide is specifically associated with idiosyncratic HEPATOTOXICITY (the reason for its human paediatric ban in India and withdrawals elsewhere). With no veterinary safety data, the risk/benefit strongly favours using a licensed veterinary NSAID instead.

Management: No specific antidote. Decontaminate if recent; aggressive supportive care — IV fluid diuresis (renal protection), GI protectants (omeprazole/sucralfate/misoprostol), and HEPATOPROTECTION (N-acetylcysteine, SAMe/silybin) with close monitoring of liver and renal values. Manage GI bleeding.

Clinical pearls

• Although cheap and common in India, nimesulide has NO validated veterinary safety profile and a real human HEPATOTOXICITY signal — reach for licensed veterinary NSAIDs (meloxicam, carprofen, robenacoxib, firocoxib) instead
• If exposure/toxicity occurs, prioritise HEPATOPROTECTION (NAC/SAMe) alongside renal/GI support
• Never in cats; avoid in any patient with hepatic, renal or GI risk
• A teaching example that "human NSAID, easily available" does not equal "safe for pets"

Mechanism of action

A sulphonanilide NSAID that preferentially inhibits cyclo-oxygenase-2, reducing inflammatory prostaglandin synthesis (analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic). It also has some antioxidant/anti-protease effects. The mechanism of its disproportionate hepatotoxicity is not fully defined (reactive-metabolite/mitochondrial injury is implicated), which — together with the absence of veterinary safety data — underlies the caution against its use.

Formulations and products

• 100 mg tablet
• Oral suspension 10 mg/mL (50 mg/5 mL)
• Nimusure (Assure Biotech, Jagadhri (HR)) — 100 mg/mL, Injection
• Nimusure-P (Assure Biotech, Jagadhri (HR)) — Nimesulide 100 mg + Paracetamol 150 mg per mL, Fixed combination injection
• Nimulid — 100 mg tablet; 50 mg/5 mL suspension, Tablet / suspension (human-label)
• Nise — 100 mg tablet, Tablet (human-label)

Storage

Tablets/suspension: 15–30 °C, dry, protect from light.

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

• Ketoprofen
• Mavacoxib
• Meloxicam
• Methylprednisolone Acetate
• Phenylbutazone
• Piroxicam
• Prednisolone
• Robenacoxib

Frequently asked questions