Livestock · Gallus gallus domesticus · typical adult weight 0.50–5.00 kg
Meloxicam is dosed at 1 mg/kg PO q12h x 9 treatments in chickens, per Souza MJ, Bailey J, White M, et al. Pharmacokinetics and egg residues of meloxicam after multiple day oral dosing in domestic chickens. J Avian Med Surg. 2018;32:8-12. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.648 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 6.5 (Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Agents Used in Backyard Poultry, Gamebirds, and). Meloxicam is used in chickens for Analgesia / anti-inflammatory, Analgesia, Induced articular pain. Routes documented in chickens: PO, PO, IM, SC. A typical adult chicken weighs 0.50–5.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 3 cited dose rules for Meloxicam in chickens, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Metacam
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 1 mg/kg | q12h x 9 treatments | Analgesia / anti-inflammatory | Moderate | Souza MJ, Bailey J, White M, et al. Pharmacokinetics and egg residues of meloxicam after multiple day oral dosing in domestic chickens. J Avian Med Surg. 2018;32:8-12. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.648 doi:10.1647/22016-227 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 6.5 (Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Agents Used in Backyard Poultry, Gamebirds, and). |
| PO, IM | 1 mg/kg | q12-24 hr | Analgesia | Moderate | Greenacre, C.B., Luna, G.L., and Morishita, T.M. (2018). Backyard poultry and waterfowl. In: Exotic Animal Formulary, 5e (ed. J.W. Carpenter), 377-432. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier. — Source: Greenacre & Morishita, Backyard Poultry Medicine and Surgery, 2nd Ed, p.590 — CORROBORATED 2026-08-06 by independent literature: Pharmacokinetic Parameters and Estimating Extra-Label Tissue Withdrawal Intervals Using Three Approaches and Various Matrices for Domestic Laying Chickens Following Meloxicam Admin (Frontiers in veterinary science, 2022). doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.826367. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.826367. The paper reports this drug at this dose in this species: "ntrations from live birds to determine if plasma data could be used as a proxy for estimating […]". This is a second source alongside the book already cited; it corroborates the figure and does not by itself establish that the dose is correct. |
| SC | 3–5 mg/kg | single dose (no interval printed) | Induced articular pain | Weak | Caplen G, Baker L, Hothersall B, et al. Thermal nociception as a measure of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug effectiveness in broiler chickens with articular pain. Vet J. 2013;198:616-619 doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.09.013. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.648 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 6.5 (Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Agents Used in Backyard Poultry, Gamebirds, and). |
Typical range: 0.5–5 kg
If provided, volume will be calculated alongside dose.
Reference only. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Preferential COX-2 inhibitor, reducing prostaglandin synthesis. Provides anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic effects.
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-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for chickens may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Meloxicam dose ranges in chickens, with cited source references: PO 1 mg/kg q12h x 9 treatments; PO, IM 1 mg/kg q12-24 hr; SC 3–5 mg/kg single dose (no interval printed). Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Meloxicam in chickens: PO, PO, IM, SC.
Meloxicam is indicated in chickens for: Analgesia / anti-inflammatory, Analgesia, Induced articular pain.
These are general warnings for Meloxicam across species; consult the chicken dosing table above for species-specific guidance. 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.
Why a species-specific page? Meloxicam pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in chickens — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.