My dog ate carprofen – what should I do?

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: Pet Poison Helpline

Call a vet now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. An overdose can cause gastrointestinal damage, including vomiting and diarrhea with blood.

What to do now

What to do right now

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
Note what, how much and when your dog ate.
Bring the carprofen packaging.
Keep your dog calm.
Remove any carprofen left within reach.

Don't

Do not make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to.
Do not give your dog any human medicine.

Why it can be dangerous

Carprofen is a veterinary-specific, prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used in dogs.^[1] In overdose situations, carprofen causes gastrointestinal damage, including vomiting and diarrhea with blood.^[1]

Signs to watch for

vomiting
diarrhea
kidney failure
coma

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

OkPaw is on Android now – an iPhone version is on its way.

Common questions

How much carprofen is dangerous?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet and tell them what, how much and when your dog ate.

What signs should I watch for?

In an overdose, carprofen can cause gastrointestinal damage, including vomiting and diarrhea with blood.^[1]

What should I do now?

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet, note what, how much and when, and bring the packaging.

Sources

Pet Poison Helpline

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages