CARPROFEN
(For veterinary information only)
IMPORTANT NOTE: Tell your veterinarian if your pet is on any other pain medications, including any over-the-counter products from a drug store. Please tell the veterinarian that your pet is taking this medication before any surgery.
As with all medications, it is extremely important that this medication be used ONLY for the pet for which it is prescribed.
BRAND NAME: RIMADYL®
HOW THIS MEDICATION IS USED
Carprofen is a member of the class of drugs known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), the same class as ibuprofen (Advil®), ketoprofen, and Aspirin®. Carprofen is called a selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor, which means that it is more specific and therefore safer than other members of the NSAID class.
The chief use for such drugs in veterinary medicine is pain relief, especially for joint pain or post-surgical pain relief. Carprofen is used in the treatment of pain and inflammation either for short term or long term use. It takes 1-3 hours after oral administration for a dose of carprofen to reach its maximum effect.
Carprofen is approved only for canine use officially and dogs may safely take this medication long term with no ill effects. Do not use this medication in a cat without specific veterinary guidance.
SIDE EFFECTS
Carprofen has been associated with nausea, appetite loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If any of the above are noted, carprofen should be discontinued and your pet’s veterinarian should be notified.
A carprofen reaction that has received special attention is hepatopathy, a type of liver disease. This is a very rare syndrome (one in 5000 dogs), however, can be serious. Symptoms include nausea, appetite loss, and/or diarrhea as well as marked elevations (3-4 times higher than the normal range) in liver enzymes measured in the blood. Since this medication could affect the liver, blood tests are recommended every 6 months for pets on chronic carprofen therapy.
Other rare side effects (one in 5000 or less) include: loss of balance, hyperactivity, depression, and aggression.
Carprofen may also rarely cause gastrointestinal bleeding. This is dose dependent.
INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER DRUGS
Drugs of the NSAID class should not be used concurrently as the potential for the aforementioned side effects increases. For similar reasons, NSAIDS should not be used in conjunction with corticosteroid hormones such as prednisone, dexamethasone etc. Pfizer recommends a 2 - 3 day rest period when changing over to carprofen or to another NSAID from carprofen. Aspirin poses an exception due to its strong platelet inactivating abilities so 10-14 days is recommended when switching to carprofen from apsirin. Allow at least one week between prednisone and carprofen. In 9% of all adverse reactions reported regarding carprofen, concurrent use with corticosteroids was reported.
If carprofen is used concurrently with phenobarbital, it is especially important that appropriate liver monitoring be performed. These two drugs interact such that neither may work well if they are used together.
ACE inhibitors such as enalapril may not be as effective in the presence of carprofen. (ACE inhibitors are used in the treatment of hypertension or heart failure.) This is because ACE inhibitors depend on the dilation of blood vessels in the kidneys and such dilation can be interfered with by NSAIDs (though as discussed, carprofen as a COX-2 inhibitor is less apt to pose a problem than other NSAIDs might).
CONCERNS AND CAUTIONS
Carprofen is available as a chewable tablet which is highly palatable to animals. This increases the potential for accidental overdose should a pet gain access to a large amount of chewable tablets. Keep chewable carprofen out of the reach of children and pets.
Carprofen has not been tested in pregnant or nursing females and thus is not recommended for use in such individuals.
Carprofen should not be used in dogs with pre-existing liver or kidney disease. In order to screen for pre-existing liver or kidney disease, a blood chemistry panel is run prior to starting long term carprofen therapy.
Carprofen should not be used in patients with pre-existing gastrointestinal ulcerations.
Carprofen may slow the clotting process. Please tell the veterinarian that your pet is taking this medication before it has surgery.
Labrador Retrievers have had 1/3 of the reported cases of liver damage which may be breed related or may be due to more Labrador Retrievers using the medication.
Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 672-7800.