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Dachshund leg paralysis after Carprofen: Toxicity or injury?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund miniature | Female | unspayed

Small 4 year old dachsund took a little less than 1 tablet (75mg) Carprofen over 2 days.. Is this a toxic level? Not sure if she reacted to the meds or if she injured her back without us noticing.... She cannot move her legs, but can still wag her tail. Doesn't look in pain either. Either way, she is going to the vet in the morning!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on January 29th, 2018

In an otherwise healthy dog, the toxic dose of carprofen is 20 mg/kg as a single dose. So if your girl got 1/2 of the tablet (37.5 mg) each day, we would not expect this to cause toxicity issues unless she weighs less than 4 pounds.

Carprofen overdoses normally cause GI problems like vomiting and stomach ulcers, or kidney failure at very high doses - loss of function in the rear legs would not be an expect symptom of this, so it's likely that she has a back problem causing this rather than a reaction to the carprofen.

Rear leg paralysis can be very serious, especially if she has no movement or sensation at all in her back legs, so it would be best to take her to an emergency clinic tonight rather than waiting until morning if you can. Depending on the severity of the problem, some dogs may need emergency surgery to restore function.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM
Veterinarian
Hello, sorry to hear about Jolie. The biggest complication of carprofen toxicity is damage to the kidneys. This is seen at 50mg/kg dose, however, different dogs will respond differently to medications. At lower doses, some effects may include ulcers in the GI tract, increased liver values, vomiting and diarrhea. Depending on Jolie's weight, I suspect her dose may have been between 10-15mg/kg which may be high enough to cause the GI signs but may not be within the kidney toxic dose.

Jolie should be seen by a veterinarian to evaluate her kidney values and to receive GI protectants, preferably tonight. Her inability to use her legs however, may be a separate issue. I would be more suspicious that she may have injured her back and that this is not directly associated with the ingestion of carprofen. This should also be assessed by your veterinarian.

If Jolie is not urinating, drinking excessive amounts of water, vomits frank blood, or develops black tarry stools, she should be evaluated tonight. If Jolie seems to be doing otherwise ok, you should have her evaluated tomorrow as soon as possible. Hope this helps and best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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