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My dog ate Advil. Why is he still throwing up? Is it kidney damage?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 10 months and 11 days old | 75 lbs

My dog recently ate 5 Advil. We immediately took him to the vet and they included vomiting as well as having him stay overnight for an IV and observation. They said he seems fine (he is a large dog). We fed him the diet that the vet recommended for 5 days then tapered him to his normal diet, but he is still occasionally (2ish times a week) throwing up for unexplained reasons. Is it possible that he has kidney damage even though the vet said that he is fine?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 6th, 2019

Ibuprofen, the active ingredient in Advil, can cause both kidney damage and gastrointestinal ulcers. If Hank has his blood kidney values checked 48 hours after he ate the Advil and they were normal then it would be very unlikely that the continued vomiting is from kidney damage. If Hank ate the Advil less than two weeks ago it’s possible that he’s still having some gastrointestinal symptoms. I think it would be best to recheck with your vet since Hank has continued to vomit.

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Daniela Jessen, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 26th, 2018

    Ibuprofen overdose can cause GI, renal, and central nervous system (CNS) effects. So a 5 kg dog ingesting advil is alarming often lead to gastrointestinal (GI) problems and ulceration, presented as vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. Please seek medical support by a vet and also kidneys should be tested to make sure there is no acute renal damage which is also possible here. Please go to a vet sooner than later!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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