Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Meloxicam is dosed at 0.1–0.3 mg/kg IM q24-48h in ball pythons, per Olesen MG, Bertelsen MF, Perry SF, et al. Effects of preoperative administration of butorphanol or meloxicam on physiologic responses to surgery in ball pythons. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2008;233:1883-1888. doi:10.2460/javma.233.12.1883 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.254 (2026-08-01).. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Use with extreme caution in cats. Jurisdiction-specific labeling: the US (FDA) label authorizes a single SC dose only, with a boxed warning against repeated use; EU/UK/AU labels authorize repeated oral dosing for chronic musculoskeletal pain — follow your jurisdiction's label. GI ulceration risk. Avoid in dehydrated, hypovolemic, or renally compromised patients. Do not combine with other NSAIDs or corticosteroids.
Species with Meloxicam dosing data (56 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Backed by 39 published sources
· Allweiler SI. How to improve anesthesia and analgesia in small mammals. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2016;19:361-377. doi:10.1016/j.cvex.2016.01.012 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.792 (2026-08-01).
· BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th Ed, Part B: Exotic Pets (ed. Joanna Hedley), Meloxicam, DOSES, printed p.195 / corpus p.209: 'Rabbits: 0.3-0.6 mg/kg s.c., p.o. q12-24h'.
· BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th Ed, Part B: Exotic Pets, p.195 (corpus p.209), Meloxicam DOSES - Reptiles: '0.1-0.5 mg/kg p.o., s.c., i.m. have been suggested'. Interval q24-48h from Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th Ed, p.254, Meloxicam 'Most species' row.
· BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed., Part B - Exotic Pets, Meloxicam monograph, p.195: 'Rats: 1-2 mg/kg s.c., p.o. q24h'. Corroborated by Quesenberry FRR 4th ed., Appendix Table A.4, p.627, Rats/Mice column: '1-2 mg/kg PO, SC q24h (R)'
· BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th edition, Part B: Exotic Pets; Meloxicam monograph, DOSES, printed p.195 (corpus PDF p.209).
· Carpenter 6e
Sample dosing (2 of 56 cited rules)
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 22 species — reptiles, birds, pocket pets, livestock, and equine — is free on the per-species pages above. Pro adds the weight-based calculator for every species.
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Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.254 (2026-08-01).
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed | Corroborated 2026-07-30: Carpenter et al. J Zoo Wildl Med 2009;40:601-606. doi:10.1638/2007-0115.1PMID:20063804 — rabbit, 0.2-0.3 mg/kg PO q24h; Delk et al. Am J Vet Res 2014;75:195-199. doi:10.2460/ajvr.75.2.195PMID:24471756 — rabbit, 1.0 mg/kg PO q24h (abstracts).
· Colditz IG, Paull DR, Lloyd JB, Johnston L, Small AH. Efficacy of meloxicam in a pain model in sheep. Aus Vet J. 2019;97(1-2):23-32. doi:10.1111/avj.12779 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.855 (2026-08-01).
· Cole GA, Paul-Murphy J, Krugner-Higby L, et al. Analgesic effects of intramuscular administration of meloxicam in Hispaniolan parrots (Amazona ventralis) with experimentally induced arthritis. Am J Vet Res. 2009;70:1471-1476. doi:10.2460/ajvr.70.12.1471; Molter CM, Court MH, Hazarika S, et al. Pharmacokinetics of parenteral and oral meloxicam in Hispaniolan parrots (Amazona ventralis). Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet/Assoc Exot Mam Vet; 2009:317-318. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.460 (2026-08-01).
· Divers SJ, Papich MG, McBride M, et al. Pharmacokinetics of meloxicam following intravenous and oral administration in green iguanas (Iguana iguana). Am J Vet Res. 2010;71:1277-1283. doi:10.2460/ajvr.71.11.1277 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.254 (2026-08-01).
· Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Appendix Table A.4, PDF p.639 (printed p.627), Hedgehogs: 'Meloxicam 0.5 mg/kg PO, SC q12h' — for the 0.5 endpoint; Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed. p.742 and BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed. Part B - Exotic Pets, PDF p.209 (printed p.195) 'Hedgehogs: 0.2 mg/kg p.o., s.c. q24h' — for the 0.2 endpoint.
· Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Appendix Table A.4, PDF p.639 (printed p.627), Hedgehogs: 'Meloxicam 0.5 mg/kg PO, SC q12h'; plus Carpenter's 6th ed. p.742 and BSAVA Part B PDF p.209 (printed p.195) for 0.2 mg/kg PO q24h. https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.738
· Hess L. Sugar gliders. In: Aiello SE, eds. Merck Veterinary Manual; Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ; 2016:2035-2043. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.710 (2026-08-01).
· Hess L. Sugar gliders. In: Aiello SE, eds. Merck Veterinary Manual; Merck & Co., Kenilworth, NJ; 2016:2035-2043.; Ness RD, Johnson-Delaney C. Sugar gliders. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2012:393-410. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.710 (2026-08-01).
· Jepson L. Ferrets. In: Jepson L, eds. Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.944 (2026-08-01).
· Keller KA, Nevarez JG, Rodriguez D, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of anaplastic mammary carcinoma in a sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps). J Exot Pet Med. 2014;23:277-282. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2014.06.008 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.710 (2026-08-01).
· Montesinos A, Ardiaca M, Gilabert JA, et al. Pharmacokinetics of meloxicam after intravenous, intramuscular and oral administration of a single dose to African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2017;40:279-284. doi:10.1111/jvp.12350 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.459 (2026-08-01).
· Montesinos A, Ardiaca M, Juan-Salles C, et al. Effects of meloxicam on hematologic and plasma biochemical analyte values and results of histologic examination of kidney biopsy specimens of African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). J Avian Med Surg. 2015;29:1-8. doi:10.1647/2013-056 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.459 (2026-08-01).
· Olesen MG, Bertelsen MF, Perry SF, et al. Effects of preoperative administration of butorphanol or meloxicam on physiologic responses to surgery in ball pythons. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2008;233:1883-1888. doi:10.2460/javma.233.12.1883 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.254 (2026-08-01).
· Papich, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, Meloxicam, Instructions for Use, printed pp.489-490 (corpus PDF pp.517-518)
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook 9th ed, Meloxicam, Dosages/DOGS, printed p.827 (corpus PDF p.854), citing METACAM US product labels for dogs (refs 1-3); corroborated by Papich printed p.490 (PDF 518) and BSAVA Part A printed p.251 (PDF 267)
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook 9th ed, Meloxicam, Dosages/SMALL RUMINANTS b) Goats, printed p.828 (corpus PDF p.855)
· Quesenberry, Orcutt, Mans & Carpenter, Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Table 37.6, p.552 - Guinea Pig: meloxicam 0.3-0.5 PO, SC q24h
· Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.854 (2026-08-01).
· a. Chinnadurai SK, Messenger KM, Papich MG, et al. Meloxicam pharmacokinetics using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling in ferrets after single subcutaneous administration. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2014;37:382-387. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.944 (2026-08-01).