Pet Safety / Compounds / Ibuprofen

Is Ibuprofen safe for dogs and cats?

High risk for pets

Toxic threshold ~50 mg/kg; GI hemorrhage from COX-1 inhibition is the primary concern at lower doses. Doses above 175 mg/kg cause acute renal failure (papillary necrosis). CNS effects (seizures, coma) occur at very high doses. OTC accessibility makes accidental ingestion common; frequently reported to ASPCA APCC.

What is ibuprofen?

The IUPAC name is 2-[4-(2-methylpropyl)phenyl]propanoic acid.

Also known as: 2-[4-(2-methylpropyl)phenyl]propanoic acid, RefChem:6648, IBUPROFEN, (+-)-, 2-(4-Isobutylphenyl)propanoic acid.

IUPAC name
2-[4-(2-methylpropyl)phenyl]propanoic acid
CAS number
15687-27-1
Molecular formula
C13H18O2
Molecular weight
206.28 g/mol
SMILES
CC(C)CC1=CC=C(C=C1)C(C)C(=O)O
PubChem CID
3672

Risk for dogs

High risk

Toxic threshold ~50 mg/kg; GI hemorrhage from COX-1 inhibition is the primary concern at lower doses. Doses above 175 mg/kg cause acute renal failure (papillary necrosis). CNS effects (seizures, coma) occur at very high doses. OTC accessibility makes accidental ingestion common; frequently reported to ASPCA APCC.

Risk for cats

High risk

Cats are more sensitive than dogs to NSAID toxicity; lower doses cause GI ulceration and renal papillary necrosis. Limited COX-2 selectivity data in cats. Even low therapeutic human doses can be toxic. Cats also lack efficient glucuronidation, slowing clearance.

Regulatory consensus

7 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Ibuprofen. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
FDA—OTC NSAIDFDA-approved; safe and effective at recommended doses (≤1,200 mg/day OTC)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 2 positive / 1 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 2 positive / 1 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Irritation: SkinIrr2 (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—skin sensitisation: in vivo (non-LLNA): Not likely to be sensitizing (score: low)
FDA2024OTC_monographMax 1200 mg/day OTC
WHO2024essential_medicineWHO Essential Medicines List

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter ibuprofen

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Ibuprofen:

  • Therapeutic alternatives (consult prescriber)
    Trade-offs: Drug-specific. Cannot substitute without medical guidance.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Acetaminophen
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Topical NSAIDs (diclofenac gel)
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Non-pharmacological
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is ibuprofen safe for pets?

Toxic threshold ~50 mg/kg; GI hemorrhage from COX-1 inhibition is the primary concern at lower doses. Doses above 175 mg/kg cause acute renal failure (papillary necrosis). CNS effects (seizures, coma) occur at very high doses. OTC accessibility makes accidental ingestion common; frequently reported to ASPCA APCC.

What products contain ibuprofen?

Ibuprofen appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

Why do regulators disagree about ibuprofen?

Ibuprofen has been classified by 7 agencies including FDA, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Ibuprofen in the pets app

Look up products containing ibuprofen, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in pets View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Ibuprofen Toxicity in Pets (2021) — report
  2. Gwaltney-Brant SM: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug toxicosis. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 32(2):373–391 (2002) — journal

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →