what is the drug dose of rimydyl in cats

Colleague,

That's a critical safety question. Carprofen (Rimadyl) is a drug I actively avoid in feline patients and do not recommend for use.

While some anecdotal reports or older formularies may list a dose, its use in cats is associated with a very high risk of severe adverse effects, primarily acute kidney injury and gastrointestinal ulceration. The therapeutic margin is exceptionally narrow, and individual feline metabolism of this specific NSAID is unpredictable.

For feline analgesia, I strongly advise using drugs with a proven safety profile in this species. My preferred options, depending on the clinical scenario, include:

* Robenacoxib (Onsior): A COX-2 selective NSAID licensed for short-term (e.g., up to 3 days post-op) use in cats. It's a much safer choice if an NSAID is indicated.
* Meloxicam: While licensed for one-time injectable use post-operatively in many regions, chronic oral use is highly controversial and carries significant risk of renal decompensation, particularly in cats with any underlying CKD. I avoid it for chronic management.
* Buprenorphine: An excellent choice for mild to moderate pain, with a good safety profile.
* Gabapentin: Particularly useful for chronic or neuropathic pain.
* Maropitant: Can provide visceral analgesia, which is useful in many of my GI cases.

In short, I would not prescribe carprofen to a cat. The risk of iatrogenic harm is too high compared to the safer, approved alternatives we have available.

High confidence.

This is a question I field more often than you'd think, and my advice is always the same: do not use carprofen (Rimadyl) in cats.

While it is an effective NSAID in dogs, its use in feline patients is strongly contraindicated due to a high risk of toxicity. Cats metabolize carprofen very poorly and slowly due to a relative deficiency in glucuronidation pathways. This results in a dangerously long half-life (reportedly >20 hours in cats vs. ~8 hours in dogs), leading to drug accumulation and a very narrow margin of safety.

Even at doses that might seem low, the risk of severe adverse effects—namely gastrointestinal ulceration and acute kidney injury—is unacceptably high. There are documented cases of severe toxicity and death in cats following carprofen administration.

For feline analgesia, I would strongly advise you to use a product specifically licensed and formulated for cats. Safer alternatives include:
* Robenacoxib (Onsior): Approved for short-term use in cats and has a much better safety profile.
* Meloxicam: Labeled for one-time injectable use post-operatively in cats in the US. Oral use is extra-label and carries risks, but is still considered safer than carprofen when dosed appropriately.
* Non-NSAID options: Buprenorphine and gabapentin are excellent, safe choices for feline pain management.

In summary, there is no safe, recommended dose of carprofen for cats. The potential for severe, life-threatening toxicity makes it an inappropriate choice. Please use a feline-approved alternative.