Understanding What Is the Use of Ketoprofen Injection

October 8, 2025 •

3 min read

Over 20% of adult dogs are affected by osteoarthritis, making pain management a major concern in veterinary practice. For veterinary applications, particularly in treating animals like horses and cattle, ketoprofen injection provides a potent solution for controlling pain, inflammation, and fever, especially when oral administration is not a viable option.

Quick Summary

Explores the primary uses of ketoprofen injection in veterinary medicine for treating pain, inflammation, and fever in animals like horses, cattle, and swine. Discusses its non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) mechanism, typical administration methods, and important safety considerations.

Key Points

Primary Veterinary Use: Ketoprofen injection is predominantly used in veterinary medicine.
Pain and Inflammation Management: Effective for treating musculoskeletal pain, inflammation, and fever in animals like horses and cattle.
Mechanism of Action: Inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, reducing pro-inflammatory prostaglandins.
Flexible Administration: Can be administered intravenously, intramuscularly, or subcutaneously.
Risk of Side Effects: Carries risks of gastrointestinal ulceration, renal toxicity, and cardiovascular events.
Strict Veterinary Oversight: Administration and monitoring must be done by a licensed veterinarian.
Specific Animal Applications: Treats colic in horses and fever associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in cattle.

Ketoprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with powerful analgesic (pain-relieving), anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic (fever-reducing) properties. The injectable form is primarily used in veterinary medicine for acute and short-term conditions when oral administration is not suitable, such as in cases of severe pain or non-compliant animals. Its mechanism involves blocking the body's natural inflammatory response, but this also carries risks that necessitate careful veterinary oversight.

Mechanism of Action

Ketoprofen functions by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are key mediators of pain, fever, and inflammation.

Cyclooxygenase (COX) Inhibition

Non-selective Inhibition: Ketoprofen is a non-selective inhibitor of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme family, blocking both COX-1 and COX-2.
Prostaglandin Blockade: By inhibiting these enzymes, ketoprofen prevents the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins, reducing inflammation, pain, and swelling.
Antithrombotic effects: Inhibition of the COX pathway also reduces thromboxane B2, a factor involved in platelet aggregation, which may increase the risk of bleeding.

Primary Uses of Ketoprofen Injection in Veterinary Medicine

For Horses

Musculoskeletal Conditions: Used for pain and inflammation in musculoskeletal disorders like sprains, strains, synovitis, and osteoarthritis.
Colic: Provides analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in the management of colic.

For Cattle

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD): Indicated for controlling fever associated with BRD.
Inflammatory Conditions: Used for pain, fever, and inflammation related to conditions like mastitis, udder edema, simple gastrointestinal disorders, and arthritic pain.

For Swine

Respiratory Infections: Treats fever and inflammation associated with respiratory infections.

For Dogs and Cats

Short-term Pain Management: Used short-term for post-surgical pain.
Off-label Use: Often considered "off-label" in the US for small animals due to a narrow safety margin compared to other available NSAIDs.

Administration Routes

Ketoprofen injections are administered via several routes under veterinary supervision.

Common Administration Routes

Intravenous (IV): Used for horses and cattle for rapid onset, especially in acute conditions like colic.
Intramuscular (IM): A common route for horses, cattle, and swine.
Subcutaneous (SC): An option for cattle and smaller animals, with potential for injection site reactions.

Potential Risks and Contraindications

NSAIDs like ketoprofen carry risks, particularly with prolonged use or in animals with pre-existing conditions.

Gastrointestinal (GI) Toxicity: Can cause irritation, ulceration, and bleeding, with higher risk during long-term use.
Renal and Hepatic Toxicity: Potential toxicity to kidneys and liver, especially in dehydrated animals.
Cardiovascular Events: Risk of adverse cardiovascular events, such as blood pressure increases.
Injection Site Reactions: Swelling, pain, or discoloration at the injection site can occur.
Contraindications: Should not be used in animals with hypersensitivity, severe renal or hepatic impairment, active GI ulcers, or in late pregnancy.

Ketoprofen Injection vs. Other Injectable NSAIDs

Veterinarians choose NSAIDs based on species, condition, efficacy, and safety profile.


Feature	Ketoprofen Injection (e.g., Ketofen)	Flunixin Meglumine (e.g., Banamine)	Meloxicam Injection (e.g., Metacam)
Mechanism of Action	Non-selective COX inhibitor.	Non-selective COX inhibitor, potent activity against endotoxemia.	Preferential COX-2 inhibitor, reduces risk of GI side effects.
Primary Species	Horses, Cattle, Swine, Dogs (off-label).	Primarily Horses and Cattle.	Dogs, Cats (SC), Horses, Cattle.
Onset of Action	Rapid, anti-inflammatory effect peaks around 12 hours.	Fast acting, especially against endotoxins.	Relatively fast, with sustained activity.
Typical Uses	Musculoskeletal pain, fever (BRD), colic.	Colic, endotoxemia, BRD.	Osteoarthritis, post-operative pain.
Duration of Treatment	Short-term (e.g., 3-5 days).	Short-term, usually specified in the label.	Short-term use, may be followed by oral forms.
Safety Profile	Non-selective action increases GI risk, potential for injection site reactions.	Non-selective, risks include GI issues, toxicity.	Generally well-tolerated, lower GI risk than non-selective NSAIDs.

Conclusion

Ketoprofen injection is a potent NSAID primarily used in veterinary medicine for the acute management of pain, inflammation, and fever in animals like horses and cattle. Its efficacy comes from non-selective inhibition of the cyclooxygenase pathway. However, its use requires careful consideration of potential risks, including gastrointestinal, kidney, and liver issues. Therefore, administration should always be under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian to ensure appropriate use and monitoring.

Important Safety Advisory

This article provides general information and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical or veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider or veterinarian before using ketoprofen or any other medication.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary use of ketoprofen injection is in veterinary medicine to manage pain, inflammation, and fever in various animals, including horses, cattle, and swine.

Ketoprofen works by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, which in turn reduces the body's production of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that cause pain, fever, and inflammation.

Ketoprofen injection is commonly used for horses to treat musculoskeletal pain and colic, and for cattle to control fever associated with Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) and other inflammatory conditions.

In veterinary practice, ketoprofen injection is administered intravenously (IV), intramuscularly (IM), or subcutaneously (SC), depending on the animal and the condition being treated.

Yes, serious side effects can include gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding, renal toxicity, and potential cardiovascular events, particularly with prolonged use or in high-risk animals.

Ketoprofen injection is not a common treatment for humans and is not widely discussed in authoritative human medicine sources. Ketoprofen is available in oral forms for humans, but these carry significant warnings.

For smaller companion animals like dogs and cats, ketoprofen is sometimes used off-label, meaning it is not specifically approved for that use by a regulatory body in that country. This is due to a narrow safety margin compared to other NSAID options.