TruProfen for Dogs

What Is TruProfen for Dogs?

TruProfen is a brand of carprofen for dogs, supplied by TruRx, LLC. Carprofen is a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that vets use for osteoarthritis pain and for pain after surgery. TruProfen comes as flavored tablets in 25, 75 and 100 mg and is the same drug as Rimadyl.

It is less widely stocked than Rimadyl, Vetprofen or Carprovet, so most owners first meet it when a pharmacy fills a carprofen prescription with it. The milligram dose your vet prescribed doesn't change with the brand, and no washout is needed when switching to or from it. Like every carprofen product, it needs a prescription and is for dogs only, never cats or people.

TruProfen Reviews: What Owners Report, and How to Read It

People search for "TruProfen reviews" to find out whether this less familiar label works as well as the brand their dog took before. Two things are worth knowing before you read any review.

• A review of TruProfen is mostly a review of carprofen. The active ingredient and dose are the same as Rimadyl's, so how much a dog improves depends on the dog, its arthritis and the dose, not on the label. Carprofen's effectiveness is well established in controlled trials, which are far better evidence than any individual review.
• What can differ between labels is what owners notice day to day: whether the dog eats the tablet, how easy it is to split, the price, and whether the pharmacy has it in stock. These are the useful parts of any review.

When you read reviews, discount ones that judge the drug on a single dose or a few days (arthritis treatment is usually assessed over 2–4 weeks), and take seriously any that describe vomiting, black stool or a change in drinking. Those are carprofen side effects to report to a vet, whatever the brand. We haven't tested TruProfen ourselves and don't publish owner ratings; if your dog takes it, your vet's recheck is the review that matters.

Who Supplies TruProfen?

TruProfen is supplied by TruRx, LLC as a flavoured carprofen tablet in the standard US strengths (25, 75 and 100 mg). It is one of the less widely stocked labels, so you are most likely to meet it when a pharmacy or clinic substitutes it for the brand you had before. If you have questions about a particular batch, the label and package insert carry the supplier details and lot number; the pharmacy that dispensed it can also answer questions.

Identifying a TruProfen Tablet

Pill-identification references record orange tablets with the BP CAR imprint on TruRx carprofen, and the same imprint on Vetprofen. So "BP CAR" tells you the tablet is carprofen, but not which brand. To confirm a loose tablet:

1. Match the imprint, colour, shape and score line to your current bottle.
2. Check the strength on the label: a 25 mg and a 100 mg tablet can look alike in photos.
3. If anything doesn't match, ask the dispensing pharmacy before giving it.

Our carprofen pill identifier covers other brands' markings.

Switching to or From TruProfen

• No washout. Moving between TruProfen and Rimadyl, Vetprofen or any other carprofen needs no gap. Give the same milligram dose at the next scheduled time.
• Match the milligrams. Confirm the new instructions give the same total per day as before.
• Expect a different tablet. Flavour, size and score line differ; a picky dog may refuse a new flavour at first (see picky dogs).
• Watch the first week as you would with any carprofen: appetite, stool and energy.

What to Expect in the First Weeks

See how long carprofen takes to work and side effects.

If Your Pharmacy Can't Get TruProfen

Because it's less widely stocked, TruProfen can be out of stock where a common brand isn't. Any FDA-approved carprofen at the same strength is an equivalent substitute. Ask your vet to write the prescription as "carprofen [strength], [dose in mg], [how often]" rather than naming a brand, so it can be filled anywhere. Compare prices by cost per milligram. A 100 mg tablet split in half is often cheaper than two 25 mg tablets. See all carprofen brands compared.