My dog accidentally got an extra Previcox dose. Should I worry?

Oh dear! This is a pretty significant overdose, and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Previcox have a fairly narrow margin of safety in dogs. Overdoses like this can result in severe stomach ulcers, internal bleeding, or even kidney failure. Since she got such a large dose, I would really recommend taking her to the vet right away for treatment. He/she can give her an injection to induce vomiting to help get any remaining pills out of her stomach before they can be absorbed, and may also recommend giving her IV fluids and starting medication to help protect her stomach to try and prevent any problems.

The main concern with an overdose of this drug is damage to the stomach and intestines. Behavior change is not expected, nor something that has been observed with this drug, so I'm not sure why he is acting skittish. Depending on how big of an overdose this was, he should probably be on some preventative treatment. I recommend contacting your veterinarian about this for further advice. The fact that he's eating/drinking OK and has normal stools are all good signs that he doesn't have any toxic effects at this time. However, signs of toxicity can be delayed a couple of days, so if he is vomiting, not eating, lethargic, or has diarrhea, then he will need to go to the vet. I hope that helps and all is well with Chrome.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Great question! No, I would not be worried about this scenario. Typically we don't like to give two different NSAIDs very close together but that is mostly when a dog has been on one long-term and we want to switch to another. Has only having one dose of previcox a few days is not really concerning. The main reason we worry is the potential for gastric ulceration. If you want to be cautious you could give him some omeprazole for a week but it would be best to contact your vet before adding in any other medications. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hi there. So if I'm understanding correctly, it sounds like she just had one extra dose of Rimadyl at 2:30 am Thursday morning - is that right? While it's true that we always want to stick to the label dosage with this medication, as there is a risk of causing serious side effect issues with higher doses and/or giving it more frequently than prescribed, I would generally not expect to see any major issues with just one accidental "extra" dose. Most of the toxicity issues we see with this medication are related to dogs getting into the bottle and eating a large number of pills at once, or with chronic overdosing over a longer period of time. If your girl is acting normal, eating and drinking fine, and not vomiting, then I don't see any major cause for concern right now. I would definitely recommend calling your regular vet to let them know about the extra dose and make sure they don't recommend doing anything different - but otherwise, I would just monitor her for any problems, and stick to the prescribed dosing schedule from here on out. The main things to watch for would be vomiting, or not eating - if you see either of those symptoms, I would let your vet know right away. If you feel like she's still somewhat painful in between Rimadyl doses, you could also ask your vet about getting her a different pain medication that would be safe to give along with the Rimadyl if she seems painful at night before her next scheduled dose, such as tramadol or gabapentin.

That would be an unusual side effect of Previcox, especially if he just had one dose. If that continues then you should call your vet and let him/her know as your vet may want to check a urine sample.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Nala. Previcox is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication used for injuries like the one you described. Possible side effects of NSAIDs include gastrointestinal side effects, such as ulcers in the stomach and harm to the kidneys. Dogs are more likely to experience these side effects if the medication is given on an empty stomach or for long periods of time.. Some dogs are also just more sensitive to these side effects in general. The dark color of Nala's vomit is concerning, and I would be worried that she may be experiencing some of the side effects of Previcox. I would recommend having her evaluated by a veterinarian so that they can examine her and prescribe medications to help with potential gastric ulcers. Hope this helps, good luck!

I would not worry at this point but I suggest you not give her any more Vetprofen until 24 hours after the last dose. If you have some Pepcid (famotidine) 10mg on-hand you can give her one of those daily for the next few days to protect her stomach. If you notice any vomiting or not eating get her to your vet ASAP. Hope this helps. Best wishes.