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Urgent care is for pets who are unwell, in discomfort, are in urgent situation or are not acting like themselves and should be assessed within 24 hours.
Wellness, routine, or general care is for pets needing vaccines, preventive care, or ongoing monitoring who can safely wait at least 24 hours.
This page focuses on urgent assessment. Routine wellness exams, preventive care, and monitoring of stable conditions are provided through scheduled general wellness appointments.
Dog or Cat Ate Pain Medication (NSAIDs)
You should call a vet (sooner the better), see if induction of vomiting, decontamination etc are an option !!!
Pain medication poisoning (NSAID toxicosis) in dogs and cats can range from mild stomach irritation to life-threatening gastrointestinal bleeding, acute kidney failure, or neurologic collapse, depending on the specific drug, dose, timing, and species.
This condition is often delayed and unpredictable, especially with common medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen, meloxicam, carprofen, diclofenac, and other human or veterinary NSAIDs. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, paracetamol) exposure is also commonly searched and is routed through this page, although it carries distinct risks and is addressed separately within the toxicosis cluster.
Definition
Pain medication poisoning (NSAID toxicosis) is a toxic drug exposure, not a diagnosis. It occurs when dogs or cats ingest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) intended for humans or animals, or receive an incorrect dose, duplicate dosing, or drug combination.
NSAIDs interfere with prostaglandins that protect the stomach lining, kidneys, and blood flow, which can result in ulcers, internal bleeding, reduced kidney perfusion, and organ failure.
Cats are especially vulnerable because they cannot safely metabolize many NSAIDs, and even small amounts may cause severe injury.
Globally, NSAID exposures in pets are increasing as these medications become more common in households.
This page addresses pain medication poisoning in dogs and cats, a condition commonly searched as dog ate ibuprofen, ibuprofen poisoning dog, dog ate Advil, naproxen toxicity dog, dog ate Aleve, meloxicam overdose dog, carprofen overdose, dog took too much Rimadyl, dog double dosed carprofen, cat given pain medication, cat given human pain meds, NSAID poisoning dogs, NSAID toxicity cats, dog ate pain meds, pain medication poisoning dog, acetaminophen toxicity dog, Tylenol poisoning cat, paracetamol toxicity pets, dog vomiting after pain meds, and kidney failure from pain medication in dogs. These searches reflect how frequently accidental ingestion, dosing errors, or inappropriate medication use lead owners to seek urgent veterinary guidance.
Who This Page Is For
• Dogs or cats that may have ingested human pain medications such as ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), diclofenac, or similar drugs
• Pets that accidentally received extra doses of veterinary NSAIDs (carprofen, meloxicam, deracoxib, firocoxib)
• Cats that were given any human pain medication, even once
• Pets with vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or abdominal pain after medication exposure
• Dogs or cats that develop lethargy, weakness, pale gums, dark stools, changes in urination, tremors, or seizures
Who This Page Is Not For
• A pet that is properly taking a veterinarian-prescribed NSAID exactly as directed, with no missed doses, doubling, or access to human medications.
If you are unsure whether the amount or type of medication matters, that uncertainty itself warrants veterinary assessment.
Related Urgent Symptoms
• Toxin Exposure In Dogs And Cats
• Vomiting And Diarrhea
• Bloody Diarrhea or Blood in Stool in Dogs & Cats
• Lethargy, Weakness, Collapse In Dog & Cat
• Pale Gums (Emergency)
• Acute Kidney Injury
• Seizures or Convulsions
What This Can Look Like at Home
NSAID toxicosis may begin subtly and worsen over hours to days. Owners may observe:
• Vomiting, nausea, drooling, or refusal to eat
• Diarrhea, black or tar-colored stools, or blood in vomit
• Lethargy, weakness, or hiding behavior
• Increased thirst or decreased urination
• Abdominal pain or hunched posture
• Tremors, disorientation, or seizures in severe cases
Some pets appear normal at first, especially early after ingestion.
Why This Can Be Hard to Judge
The amount ingested does not reliably predict severity. Some NSAIDs cause serious injury at low doses, particularly in cats.
Clinical signs may be delayed, especially kidney injury, which can develop 12–72 hours after exposure.
Pets often mask pain and nausea, and early signs may look like simple stomach upset.
Multiple drugs, repeat dosing, dehydration, or underlying disease can greatly increase risk without obvious warning signs.
The Improvement Trap
Temporary improvement does not equal resolution.
Vomiting or stomach upset may briefly settle while kidney or intestinal damage continues internally.
Some pets worsen after an initial “quiet” period, developing bleeding, kidney failure, or neurologic signs later.
Waiting for symptoms to return can delay care during the most effective intervention window.
What Is Easy to Miss at Home
• Mild vomiting or nausea that stops on its own
• Black or very dark stools that are not recognized as bleeding
• Increased thirst or subtle changes in urination
• Quiet behavior or hiding, especially in cats
• Mild abdominal discomfort without crying or limping
• Normal appetite early on despite internal injury
These signs matter because kidney injury and gastrointestinal bleeding can progress even when outward signs seem minimal.
When This Can Be an Emergency
DO NOT WAIT !!!
Any NSAID toxicosis should be treated as urgent so that decontamination can occur in time. Serious kidney and gastrointestinal injury can develop rapidly or be delayed.
Some signs you may see are:
• Repeated vomiting or vomiting with blood
• Black, tar-like stools or visible blood in stool
• Marked lethargy, weakness, or collapse
• Pale gums or sudden fatigue
• Increased thirst with reduced or absent urination
• Abdominal pain, hunched posture, or restlessness
• Tremors, disorientation, or seizures
• Any NSAID exposure in cats, even if the amount seems small
This is the decision pivot where delay increases risk of permanent organ damage.
How Veterinarians Assess This
Clinical signs alone cannot reliably determine severity.
Symptoms can appear similar while representing very different internal disease processes. Diagnostic testing is how veterinarians determine whether a condition is mild and self-limiting or serious and potentially life-threatening, and how they guide appropriate care.
Diagnostic testing may include:
• Complete blood count (CBC) to assess anemia or inflammation
• Serum chemistry profile to evaluate kidney and liver values
• Urinalysis to assess kidney function and urine concentration
• Serum protein levels to detect gastrointestinal blood loss
• Electrolyte testing to assess hydration and renal effects
• Blood pressure measurement to evaluate renal perfusion
• Abdominal imaging to assess complications such as ulceration or perforation
Additional disease-specific testing (such as coagulation testing, repeat kidney monitoring, or advanced imaging) may be considered based on the overall clinical picture.
Diagnostic testing is what determines severity and guides appropriate care.
Veterinary Differentials - Serious / Must-Rule-Out First
• NSAID toxicosis – Toxic effects of pain medications causing gastrointestinal and kidney injury.
Tests may include CBC, serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, abdominal imaging.
• Acute kidney injury – Sudden loss of kidney function from toxins or reduced blood flow.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, electrolyte testing.
• Gastrointestinal ulceration or perforation – Severe stomach or intestinal injury causing bleeding or peritonitis.
Tests may include CBC, abdominal imaging, serum chemistry profile.
• Internal bleeding – Blood loss into the gastrointestinal tract or body cavities.
Tests may include CBC, serum protein levels, imaging studies.
• Sepsis – Systemic infection secondary to GI perforation or severe injury.
Tests may include CBC, serum chemistry profile, blood cultures.
• Acetaminophen toxicosis – Drug exposure causing liver injury and blood cell damage.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, CBC, coagulation testing.
Veterinary Differentials - Common / More Typical
• Gastritis or gastroenteritis – Stomach and intestinal inflammation from various causes.
Tests may include CBC, serum chemistry profile, fecal testing.
• Pancreatitis – Inflammation of the pancreas causing vomiting and abdominal pain.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, pancreatic lipase testing, imaging.
• Dietary indiscretion – GI upset from eating inappropriate substances.
Tests may include CBC, serum chemistry profile.
• Dehydration – Reduced circulating volume worsening kidney perfusion.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis.
• Chronic kidney disease – Pre-existing renal disease unmasked by illness or dehydration.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, imaging.
• Coagulopathy – Disorders affecting clotting and bleeding risk.
Tests may include coagulation panel, CBC.
Safety, Psychology, & Peace of Mind
Pain medications feel familiar, which can make their risks easy to underestimate.
NSAID toxicosis is stressful because damage can occur internally before obvious signs appear.
Assessment replaces uncertainty with objective information.
Testing helps determine whether kidney or gastrointestinal injury is developing early.
Many owners later express relief that they sought care before bleeding or kidney failure progressed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pain medication poisoning (NSAID toxicosis) in dogs and cats an emergency?
Pain medication poisoning (NSAID toxicosis) in dogs and cats can range from mild stomach irritation to serious kidney failure or internal bleeding, depending on the drug and the pet. This includes common human pain medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), aspirin, diclofenac (including topical gels), ketorolac, celecoxib, indomethacin, etodolac, sulindac, piroxicam, nabumetone, oxaprozin, nimesulide, and ketoprofen, as well as veterinary medications like carprofen (Rimadyl, Novox), meloxicam (Metacam), deracoxib (Deramaxx), firocoxib (Previcox), robenacoxib (Onsior), phenylbutazone, flunixin meglumine, tepoxalin, and grapiprant (Galliprant). Because outward appearance does not reliably indicate severity, this condition is treated as urgent, and same-day urgent care is recommended if symptoms such as vomiting, weakness, pale gums, black stools, or changes in urination occur.
My pet seems normal now — can this still be serious?
Yes. Pets often hide illness, and pain medication poisoning may temporarily improve even while kidney or gastrointestinal injury continues internally. Apparent normal behavior does not reliably reflect internal stability, particularly during the first 24–72 hours after exposure. Veterinary assessment is appropriate even when a pet appears normal shortly after a suspected pain medication exposure.
What if it only happened once or the dose seemed small?
Even a single episode of pain medication exposure can be clinically meaningful. Temporary improvement does not equal resolution, and the amount given does not reliably predict severity, especially in cats. Early assessment helps determine whether pain medication poisoning is self-limiting or progressing toward organ injury.
Why are tests needed if we already know a pain medication was given?
Clinical signs alone cannot determine severity in pain medication poisoning. Diagnostic testing is how veterinarians identify early kidney injury, gastrointestinal bleeding, or delayed complications that may not be visible externally. Testing replaces guesswork with clarity and guides appropriate monitoring and care decisions.
What should I do right now?
Do not rely on watchful waiting. Pain medication exposure in dogs and cats warrants veterinary assessment, particularly if there is vomiting, lethargy, weakness, appetite changes, or altered urination. Same-day urgent care helps reduce the risk of permanent kidney or gastrointestinal damage and determine next steps.