Firocoxib

Important safety and use flags

• Scope boundary: this single assessment covers the complete authorised dog scope—osteoarthritis and postoperative soft-tissue, orthopaedic and dental pain/inflammation. It does not cover cats, fever alone, another strength, an unlisted procedure or another jurisdiction's regimen.
• Exact dose: firocoxib 5 mg/kg PO once daily, with or without food. Use only the labelled equal-quarter bands: the 57 mg presentation covers 3.0-18.5 kg; above that range the exact table switches to the 227 mg presentation rather than larger invented 57 mg counts.
• Osteoarthritis duration follows response. Exact-product field studies were limited to 90 days; longer treatment needs deliberate benefit-risk review, baseline renal/hepatic assessment and regular clinical/laboratory monitoring—not an automatic indefinite repeat.
• Postoperative use is up to 3 days as needed, starting about 2 hours before surgery. Continuation after orthopaedic surgery is the attending veterinarian's decision. Use within pre-emptive multimodal analgesia and reassess rescue needs; do not treat one tablet as a complete surgical pain plan.
• Hard exclusions: do not use in pregnant or lactating bitches, dogs under 10 weeks or below 3 kg, GI bleeding, blood dyscrasia/haemorrhagic disorder or product hypersensitivity.
• Stop and reassess repeated vomiting/diarrhoea, faecal blood, sudden weight loss, anorexia, lethargy or worsening renal/hepatic results. NSAID GI, renal or hepatic events may be serious and, very rarely, fatal even though common label-level GI events are uncommon.
• Avoid dehydrated, hypovolaemic or hypotensive patients and potentially nephrotoxic drugs. Very young dogs and renal, cardiac or hepatic impairment add risk; obtain appropriate baseline renal/hepatic biochemistry and monitor periodically.
• Never combine with another NSAID or glucocorticosteroid. Observe at least a 24-hour treatment-free interval and lengthen it according to the prior drug's pharmacokinetics; confirm aspirin, steroid and owner-administered anti-inflammatory exposure.
• Monitor combinations affecting renal flow, including diuretics and ACE inhibitors; consider parenteral fluids perioperatively, avoid nephrotoxins and review highly protein-bound co-medication for displacement/toxicity risk.
• Return half/quarter tablets to the blister and use within 7 days; keep flavoured tablets away from animals and children. Accidental ingestion needs urgent medical advice. Pregnant or pregnancy-planning handlers should use caution; overdose can cause GI, hepatic and neurologic injury or death.