Kathmandu, April 29 -- The Department of Drug Administration has banned three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used in the treatment of ailing animals, citing negative impacts on public health, animal health and environmental balance.

The banned drugs include Nimesulide, Aceclofenac and Ketoprofen. All three are used in veterinary treatment to manage pain, fever, and inflammation, particularly for osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal disorders, and post-operative pain in animals such as dogs, horses, and cattle.

The department, which is also the national drug regulatory body for all medicines used in human and animal treatment, said the medicines have side effects similar to those of diclofenac, which causes renal failure in vultures th...