What is Meloxicam Oral Suspension used for?

Meloxicam Oral Suspension is indicated for: chronic pain, inflammation, Osteoarthritis, Pain, Perioperative pain.

Which species have cited Meloxicam Oral Suspension dosing data?

Meloxicam Oral Suspension dosing in the ExoticRx formulary covers 6 species: African Grey Parrot, Ball Python, Bearded Dragon, Cat (Domestic), Guinea Pig, Rabbit (Domestic).

Is Meloxicam Oral Suspension a controlled substance?

Meloxicam Oral Suspension is not federally scheduled in the US. Controlled-drug status differs by country — verify your local rules.

How does Meloxicam Oral Suspension work?

Preferential COX-2 inhibitor. Oral suspension allowing precise low-dose administration for cats.

Meloxicam Oral Suspension

US brand names:Metacam Oral, Loxicom

Calculate dosage

Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.

Meloxicam Oral Suspension is dosed at 0.1–0.3 mg/kg PO q24-48h in ball pythons, per 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).. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Musculoskeletal

Routes

Indications

chronic paininflammationOsteoarthritisPain

Side effects & warnings

0.5mg/ml formulation for cats (single dose FDA-approved, chronic use controversial). 1.5mg/ml for dogs. Honey-flavored. Renal and GI risks. Cats: lowest effective dose for shortest duration.

Evidence levels across 6 dose rules

Strong×2Weak×2Moderate×2

Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.

Backed by 5 published sources

· 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).
· Fredholm DV, Carpenter JW, KuKanich B, et al. Pharmacokinetics of meloxicam in rabbits after oral administration of single and multiple doses. Am J Vet Res. 2013;74:636-641. doi:10.2460/ajvr.74.4.636; Delk KW, Carpenter JW, KuKanich B, et al. Pharmacokinetics of meloxicam administered orally to rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculis) for 29 days. Am J Vet Res. 2014;75:195-199. doi:10.2460/ajvr.75.2.195 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.861 (2026-08-01).
· METACAM - Meloxicam 0.5 Mg/Ml Oral Suspension for Cats and Guinea Pigs [UK Datasheet]. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd; 2018. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ca78caf5-2b47-46c1-abec-0f925b39f455; Steagall PV, Robertson S, Simon B, Warne LN, Shilo-Benjamini Y, Taylor S. 2022 ISFM Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Acute Pain in Cats. J Feline Med Surg. 2022;24(1):4-30. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.855 (2026-08-01).

Sample dosing (1 of 6 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 6 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.

Species	Route	Dose	Frequency	Evidence	Source
Cat (Domestic)	PO	0.05–0.1 mg/kg	once then 0.025-0.05 q24h	Strong	METACAM - Meloxicam 0.5 Mg/Ml Oral Suspension for Cats and Guinea Pigs [UK Datasheet]. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd; 2018. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ca78caf5-2b47-46c1-abec-0f925b39f455; Steagall PV, Robertson S, Simon B, Warne LN, Shilo-Benjamini Y, Taylor S. 2022 ISFM Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Acute Pain in Cats. J Feline Med Surg. 2022;24(1):4-30. doi:10.1177/1098612x211066268 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.855 (2026-08-01).

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· 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).

· Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.792 (2026-08-01).

Meloxicam Oral Suspension

Drug Class

Routes

Indications

Mechanism of Action

Side effects & warnings

Species with Meloxicam Oral Suspension dosing data (6 dose rules)

Evidence levels across 6 dose rules

Backed by 5 published sources

Sample dosing (1 of 6 cited rules)

Upgrade for Full Details

Meloxicam Oral Suspension

Drug Class

Routes

Indications

Mechanism of Action

Side effects & warnings

Species with Meloxicam Oral Suspension dosing data (6 dose rules)

Evidence levels across 6 dose rules

Backed by 5 published sources

Sample dosing (1 of 6 cited rules)

Upgrade for Full Details

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