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Stop carprofen and call your vet the same day if your dog has black or tarry stool, vomit with blood or "coffee grounds," yellow gums or eyes, a big change in drinking or urination, loss of appetite with vomiting, or a seizure. The FDA-approved label lists stomach ulcers and bleeding, liver injury and kidney changes among reports after approval, and says the vast majority of dogs recover when the signs are recognised and the drug is stopped. Never give carprofen with another NSAID (Metacam, Previcox, Galliprant, aspirin), a steroid such as prednisone, or any human pain reliever.
The short answer: Carprofen is the generic name for Rimadyl, an FDA-approved NSAID for osteoarthritis pain and post-surgery pain in dogs. The label dose is 2 mg per pound per day (4.4 mg/kg), given once daily or split as 1 mg/lb twice daily, and it starts working within about 1–2 hours. Generic carprofen is approved through FDA's generic pathway, which requires the same active ingredient and strength as Rimadyl, and it typically costs about a quarter of the brand: around $0.52 vs $2.24 per 100 mg caplet in online pharmacy listings in November 2026. Compared with CBD: carprofen has beaten placebo on objective force-plate gait measurements; CBD has improved owner-rated pain in most trials but has not beaten placebo on force-plate measures, and combining the two raised liver enzymes more than either alone in a 2024 study. Below: the dosage chart, generic brand names, side effects, a side-by-side CBD comparison, and how to combine them safely if your vet agrees.
By Marc Brannigan and Natalie Mondine, co-founders of HempMy Pet · Published November 6, 2026 · Last reviewed November 6, 2026. We have grown and bottled full-spectrum hemp for pets on our own Colorado farm since 2016. We are not veterinarians — everything below comes from the FDA labels and peer-reviewed studies listed at the end. For the liver question and side effects in depth, see our Rimadyl side effects guide.
Carprofen at a Glance
| Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2 mg/lb/day (4.4 mg/kg) | Label dose: once daily, or 1 mg/lb twice daily | Rimadyl FDA label |
| 25, 75, 100 mg | Tablet and caplet strengths, scored for half-tablet dosing | FDA label |
| 1–2 hours | Time to start working | VCA Animal Hospitals |
| 3–4% | Vomiting and diarrhoea in field studies, similar to placebo | FDA label (297 dogs) |
| ~1 in 4 | Share of post-approval liver reports that were in Labrador retrievers | FDA label |
| 15+ | US carprofen tablet and chewable products listed on DailyMed, including Rimadyl, Novox, Vetprofen and Carprovet | NIH DailyMed |
| $0.52 vs $2.24 | Price per 100 mg caplet, generic vs Rimadyl, online pharmacies, Nov 2026 | Chewy, PetMeds listings |
| 272% | Rise in ALP liver enzyme when CBD was added to an NSAID, vs placebo plus NSAID | Talsma 2024, 39 dogs |
Sources: Rimadyl FDA label (DailyMed) · VCA · DailyMed carprofen listings · Talsma 2024
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What Carprofen Is
Carprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) made for dogs. It reduces prostaglandins, the chemical messengers behind joint pain and inflammation, by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. Its FDA-approved uses are two: relief of pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis, and control of postoperative pain after soft-tissue and orthopaedic surgery. Vets also use it for sprains and other short-term injuries.
It is a prescription drug, approved for dogs only — the label says not to use it in cats. It is not related to gabapentin (a nerve-pain drug that works on calcium channels) and it is not the same as ibuprofen, which is a human NSAID that is toxic to dogs at doses people often guess at. Our guide to what you can safely give a dog for pain covers the human drugs to keep away from.
Is Generic Carprofen the Same as Rimadyl?
Yes, for the active ingredient. Rimadyl is the original "pioneer" product. Generic carprofen tablets are approved by the FDA under an Abbreviated New Animal Drug Application (ANADA) — Carprovet, for example, carries ANADA 200-703 on its label. That pathway requires the generic to match the pioneer's active ingredient, strength and dosing, to show it reaches equivalent blood levels, and to be made under the same FDA manufacturing standards. Inactive ingredients, flavour, tablet shape and whether it comes as a chewable or caplet can differ, so a picky dog may take one brand and refuse another.
NIH's DailyMed database lists carprofen tablets and chewables under at least 15 product names, including Rimadyl, Novox, Vetprofen, Carprovet, Quellin, Carprieve, Levafen, Ostifen, Flexprofen, Truprofen and Movodyl, plus injectable forms used in clinics.
Same drug, same dose, about a quarter of the price: a 100 mg dog on one caplet a day pays roughly $190 a year for generic carprofen versus about $820 for brand Rimadyl at November 2026 online prices.
Prices move and vary by pharmacy and strength, so check current prices before you switch, and ask your vet to write the prescription for generic carprofen if cost is a concern. Do not swap brands mid-course without telling your vet, so any change in how your dog does can be traced.
Carprofen Dosage Chart by Weight
The label dose is 2 mg per pound of body weight per day. Your vet may prescribe it as one daily dose or split into two (1 mg/lb every 12 hours). Doses are calculated in half-tablet steps, so the prescribed amount is often rounded to the nearest half tablet. For surgery, the label says to give it about two hours beforehand.
| Dog weight | Total per day (2 mg/lb) | If split twice daily (1 mg/lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 20 mg | 10 mg every 12 h |
| 20 lb (9 kg) | 40 mg | 20 mg every 12 h |
| 30 lb (14 kg) | 60 mg | 30 mg every 12 h |
| 40 lb (18 kg) | 80 mg | 40 mg every 12 h |
| 50 lb (23 kg) | 100 mg | 50 mg every 12 h |
| 60 lb (27 kg) | 120 mg | 60 mg every 12 h |
| 75 lb (34 kg) | 150 mg | 75 mg every 12 h |
| 100 lb (45 kg) | 200 mg | 100 mg every 12 h |
Calculated from the dose on the Rimadyl FDA label. This is the label maximum, not a recommendation; the label says to use the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration consistent with your dog's response. Never dose carprofen without a prescription.
Missed a dose? Give it when you remember unless the next dose is close, then skip it. Never double up. If you think your dog got a double dose, our Rimadyl guide walks through what the label's safety studies show and when to call.
Carprofen Side Effects
In the label's field studies with caplets (297 dogs), vomiting (4%), diarrhoea (4%), appetite changes (3%) and lethargy (1.4%) occurred at similar rates in carprofen and placebo dogs. In the once-daily study, liver enzyme ALT rose in 5.4% of carprofen dogs versus 4.5% on placebo. After approval, rarer but serious reports include stomach ulcers and bleeding, pancreatitis, liver injury, kidney injury, seizures and immune-mediated anaemia, and the label states that in rare cases death has been associated with them. GoodRx puts serious liver reactions at fewer than 0.05% of dogs.
Three practical points cover most of the risk:
- Bloodwork first. The label says baseline blood tests should be considered before starting any NSAID and periodically during use. VCA suggests checking liver and kidney values 2–4 weeks after starting long-term use, then every 3–6 months.
- Know the breed signal. About one in four of the label's post-approval liver reports were in Labrador retrievers — a reason for attentive monitoring in Labs, not a reason to refuse the drug.
- Never stack anti-inflammatories. If your vet switches NSAIDs or moves to a steroid, expect a washout gap of several days in between — GoodRx cites 3 to 10 days.
Carprofen vs CBD for Dogs: What the Evidence Actually Shows
We make CBD-rich hemp oil, so we have every reason to tell you it works as well as carprofen. It doesn't, on the most objective test we have, and you should know that before you choose.
What carprofen has shown. In a blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial of 40 dogs with elbow or stifle arthritis (35 completed), carprofen significantly increased the force dogs put through the sore leg on a force plate — a measurement owners and vets can't influence — and improved owner pain scores. Tramadol and placebo did neither (Budsberg 2018). The FDA approval studies also found significant improvement in vet-assessed lameness.
What CBD has shown. Owner-rated pain and activity improved on CBD versus placebo in a Cornell crossover trial at 2 mg/kg twice daily (Gamble 2018), in a 39-dog crossover at 5 mg/kg twice daily (Talsma 2024), and when CBD was added to an NSAID-based regimen (Brioschi 2020). Our own 90-day Colorado State University study found 30 of 32 completing dogs improved. But the two trials that measured gait objectively — Mejia 2021 and Talsma 2024 — found no difference from placebo on the force plate or pressure walkway, and Mejia found no difference on any measure at all.
The honest reading: carprofen is the stronger, better-proven pain reliever. CBD may help how a dog feels and behaves day to day, and owners consistently notice it, but it has not been shown to change how much weight a dog puts on a sore joint. The international COAST osteoarthritis guidelines reflect exactly that, listing CBD as a minority recommendation (3 of 9 panellists) alongside glucosamine and green-lipped mussel, while NSAIDs are a first-line choice for moderate and severe arthritis.
| Carprofen | CBD hemp oil | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | FDA-approved prescription NSAID for dogs | Supplement sold without prescription; quality and strength vary by brand |
| Best evidence | Beat placebo on objective gait and owner scores | Beat placebo on owner and vet scores in most trials; not on objective gait |
| How fast | 1–2 hours | Trials ran 4–12 weeks; most owners start low and build up over weeks |
| Common side effects | Vomiting, diarrhoea, appetite change (similar to placebo in trials) | Occasional vomiting, drowsiness or drooling; ALP liver enzyme rise is common |
| Serious risks | Rare stomach ulcers, liver and kidney injury | No serious organ injury found in the trials; long-term data are limited |
| Monitoring | Baseline and periodic liver and kidney bloodwork | Liver enzymes worth checking, especially if combined with an NSAID |
| Studied dose | 2 mg/lb (4.4 mg/kg) per day | Usually 2 mg/kg twice daily in trials; our own study used 0.3–4.12 mg/kg twice daily |
Sources: FDA label, Budsberg 2018, Gamble 2018, Mejia 2021, Brioschi 2020, Talsma 2024, Kogan 2020, and the COAST consensus guidelines (Cachon 2023). Our full summary of the CBD safety data is in Hemp & CBD Side Effects in Dogs, and the doses each trial used are in What Dose of CBD Did the Dog Studies Use?
Can You Give CBD and Carprofen Together?
Many owners already do, and two of the trials above deliberately included dogs on NSAIDs. That is also where the most important safety signal is. In Talsma 2024, the liver enzyme ALP averaged 154 U/L when CBD and an NSAID were given together, versus 80 on CBD alone and 41 on placebo plus NSAID — a 272% increase over placebo plus NSAID — and seven dogs on the combination went above the normal range. Every dog with a marked rise on the combination was taking carprofen.
Context matters. The study used a high CBD dose (5 mg/kg twice daily), ALT — the more liver-specific enzyme — rose much less, the dogs who had their livers scanned showed no clinically apparent damage, and the dogs re-checked months after the study had normal values. A 2026 pharmacokinetic study of 25 arthritic dogs given CBD and carprofen together found blood levels of both drugs ran somewhat higher during co-administration, though the differences were not statistically significant (Vake 2026). Lab work on canine liver enzymes points the same way: CBD inhibits some of the enzymes dogs use to clear drugs (Court 2024).
If your vet agrees to combine them:
- Tell your vet the product and the mg of CBD per day, not just "a few drops."
- Get baseline liver bloodwork, and book a recheck a few weeks after adding CBD, on the schedule your vet sets.
- Start CBD low — around 1–2 mg per 10 lb per day — and increase slowly, rather than jumping to trial doses.
- Do not reduce or stop carprofen on your own. If your dog improves, ask your vet whether a lower carprofen dose is worth trying.
- Watch for appetite loss, vomiting or yellowing of the gums, and call promptly if you see them.
Grown and bottled on our own Colorado farm and given to the 37 dogs in our 90-day joint study with Colorado State University researchers. Not a replacement for carprofen or any prescription; if your dog is on an NSAID, talk to your vet before adding anything. Third-party tested every batch. $99
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If carprofen isn't suitable — because of liver or kidney values, stomach problems, or not enough pain relief — your vet will usually consider:
- Other NSAIDs: meloxicam (Metacam), firocoxib (Previcox), deracoxib (Deramaxx), or grapiprant (Galliprant), which targets one prostaglandin receptor but is still classed as an NSAID.
- Librela: a monthly injection that targets nerve growth factor rather than prostaglandins. See our Librela guide.
- Add-on pain relief: gabapentin alongside an NSAID — see our gabapentin guide. Tramadol performed no better than placebo in the trial above — see our tramadol article.
- The foundations that make every drug work better: weight loss, controlled exercise, physical rehabilitation, non-slip floors and ramps. The COAST guidelines apply these at every stage of arthritis — see arthritis in dogs: signs and stages.
- Supplements: omega-3 fatty acids, green-lipped mussel and CBD, all of which sit as add-ons rather than replacements in the guidelines.
Questions Worth Asking Your Vet
- Can you prescribe generic carprofen, and which brand does my pharmacy stock?
- Once daily or split twice daily — and why for my dog?
- When should we do bloodwork, and how often after that?
- My dog is a Lab (or has had liver values flagged before) — does that change the plan?
- If I add CBD, what dose is reasonable, and when should we recheck liver enzymes?
- How will we judge whether it's working — and when would we try a lower dose?
Carprofen for Dogs: Frequently Asked Questions
Is generic carprofen the same as Rimadyl?
Yes for the drug itself. Rimadyl is the brand-name carprofen; generics such as Novox, Vetprofen and Carprovet are approved by the FDA under its generic animal drug pathway, which requires the same active ingredient, strength and dosing and equivalent blood levels. Flavour, inactive ingredients and tablet format can differ. Generics typically cost about a quarter of the brand price.
What are the negative side effects of carprofen in dogs?
The most common are vomiting, diarrhoea, appetite changes and lethargy, which occurred at rates similar to placebo (3-4%) in the FDA field studies. Rare but serious effects include stomach ulcers and bleeding, liver injury, kidney injury, pancreatitis and seizures. About one in four post-approval liver reports were in Labrador retrievers. Stop the drug and call your vet if you see black stool, bloody vomit, yellow gums or a big change in drinking.
Is carprofen a strong pain killer for dogs?
It is one of the best-proven options for arthritis pain. In a placebo-controlled trial of dogs with elbow or stifle osteoarthritis, carprofen significantly improved force-plate measurements of how much weight dogs put on the sore leg, while tramadol did not. It starts working within about 1-2 hours.
What is the carprofen dosage for dogs by weight?
The FDA label dose is 2 mg per pound of body weight per day (4.4 mg/kg), given once daily or split as 1 mg per pound twice daily. That works out to about 50 mg a day for a 25 lb dog and 100 mg a day for a 50 lb dog. Your vet sets the exact dose and rounds to half-tablet steps; never give it without a prescription.
Is carprofen the same as gabapentin?
No. Carprofen is an NSAID that reduces inflammation and pain by blocking prostaglandin production. Gabapentin is a nerve-pain medication that works on calcium channels in the nervous system. Vets often prescribe them together for arthritis because they work in different ways.
Can my dog take Apoquel and carprofen together?
They are often prescribed together, and the Apoquel label does not list carprofen as an interaction. The Apoquel label does say it has not been evaluated with steroids or other immune-suppressing drugs. Ask your vet, and expect periodic bloodwork when a dog is on both long term.
Is CBD better than carprofen for dogs?
Not on the current evidence. Carprofen has beaten placebo on objective force-plate gait measurements. CBD has improved owner-rated pain in most trials but has not beaten placebo on objective gait in the two trials that measured it. CBD may be a reasonable add-on to discuss with your vet, but it is not an equal replacement for an NSAID in a dog with moderate or severe arthritis.
Can you give CBD with carprofen?
Many dogs take both, but plan it with your vet. In a 2024 placebo-controlled study, the liver enzyme ALP was highest when CBD and an NSAID were given together (mean 154 U/L versus 41 on placebo plus NSAID), and every dog with a marked rise on the combination was taking carprofen. No clinically apparent liver damage was found and values normalised after stopping. Start CBD low, get baseline and follow-up bloodwork, and do not change the carprofen dose on your own.
What is a good substitute for carprofen for dogs?
Other prescription options include meloxicam, firocoxib, deracoxib and grapiprant (Galliprant), or the monthly Librela injection, which is not an NSAID. Gabapentin can be added for extra pain relief. Weight loss, controlled exercise and rehabilitation help every option work better. Supplements such as omega-3s and CBD are add-ons rather than replacements.
What is the safest anti-inflammatory for a dog?
There is no single safest choice; it depends on the dog's liver, kidney and stomach health and other medications. FDA-approved veterinary NSAIDs such as carprofen are far safer than human drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen, which can be toxic to dogs. The safest approach is the lowest effective dose of a vet-prescribed drug with baseline and periodic bloodwork.
Does carprofen make dogs sleepy?
It is not a sedative. Lethargy was reported in about 1.4% of dogs in the FDA field studies, at a similar rate to placebo, and sedation appears among rarer post-approval reports. A dog who seems more relaxed may simply be in less pain, but marked tiredness with vomiting or loss of appetite is a reason to call your vet.
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On carprofen or another NSAID? Check with your vet before adding hemp, and plan a liver recheck — see what the studies found on side effects.
The Short Version
Carprofen is Rimadyl's generic, with the same active ingredient at a fraction of the price, and it is one of the best-proven pain relievers for arthritic dogs. Give it at the prescribed dose, get bloodwork before and during long-term use, and never combine it with another NSAID or a steroid. CBD is not a substitute with equal evidence: it improves how owners rate their dogs' pain in most trials, but it has not matched carprofen on objective gait testing, and combining the two raises liver enzymes, so do it only with your vet and a recheck on the calendar.
Rimadyl Side Effects · Galliprant · Librela · Gabapentin · Arthritis in Dogs · Hemp for Dogs with Arthritis
Marc co-founded HempMy Pet in 2016 with his business partner Natalie Mondine, the company's COO. HempMy Pet breeds its own hemp genetics, grows them on its own Colorado farm, and formulates every batch in-house under human-grade standards — seed to sale, nothing sourced overseas. Every batch is third-party tested and the certificates of analysis are published. More about us.
HempMy Pet ran its own 90-day study of 37 dogs with chronic joint discomfort. Of the 32 that completed it, 30 (93%) showed a benefit, and 94% of owners reported their dog's quality of life had improved. It was overseen by Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, MS of the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, with Lori Kogan, Ph.D. and Peter W. Hellyer, DVM of Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and published in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. Read the methodology.
Why Dr. Downing: in 2005 she became only the third veterinarian in the world credentialed as a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. She founded the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, is a Diplomate of the ACVSMR, a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and was the AVMA's 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year. Read the published paper (PDF).
This article is general information for dog owners, not veterinary advice. It is reviewed and updated as new peer-reviewed evidence is published, and where the evidence is thin or negative we say so.
How We Sourced This Article
Every claim above traces to one of these.
- Zoetis / FDA — Rimadyl (carprofen) chewable tablets, FDA-approved label, DailyMed. Dose, strengths, warnings, field-study adverse reactions, post-approval experience including the Labrador liver data.
- Dechra / FDA — Carprovet (carprofen) label, ANADA 200-703. DailyMed carprofen product listings. Today's Veterinary Business on FDA generic animal drug requirements (sponsored by a generic manufacturer).
- Budsberg SC, et al. Lack of effectiveness of tramadol hydrochloride for the treatment of pain and joint dysfunction in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2018. PubMed.
- Talsma B, et al. Cannabidiol with and without NSAIDs in dogs with mobility disorders: a prospective, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study. Front Vet Sci. 2024. PubMed.
- Vake T, et al. Pharmacokinetics of buccally administered cannabidiol and oral carprofen in dogs. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2026. PubMed. Court MH, et al. CBD and canine cytochrome P450, 2024. PubMed.
- CBD osteoarthritis trials: Gamble 2018 · Mejia 2021 · Brioschi 2020.
- Cachon T, et al. COAST Development Group's international consensus guidelines for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis. Front Vet Sci. 2023. PMC.
- Owner guides: VCA Animal Hospitals · GoodRx · Chewy. Prices from Chewy and PetMeds listings on November 6, 2026.
- Kogan L, Hellyer P, Downing R. The Use of Cannabidiol-Rich Hemp Oil Extract to Treat Canine Osteoarthritis-Related Pain: A Pilot Study. J Am Holist Vet Med Assoc. 2020;58:35–45. Our disclosure: HempMy Pet supplied the hemp extract and reimbursed clinic costs; we had no involvement in any other study cited here.
Spot something that conflicts with your veterinarian's advice? Email support@hempmypet.com and we will correct it.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is general information, not veterinary advice. Carprofen is a prescription medication — never start, stop or change your dog's dose without your veterinarian.
