Pocket Pet · Mustela putorius furo · typical adult weight 0.60–2.00 kg
Meloxicam is dosed at 0.2 mg/kg PO q24h in ferrets, per 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).. Meloxicam is used in ferrets for NSAID / pain, inflammation. Routes documented in ferrets: PO, SC. A typical adult ferret weighs 0.60–2.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Meloxicam in ferrets, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Metacam
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 0.2 mg/kg | q24h | NSAID / pain, inflammation | Strong | 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). |
| SC | 0.2 mg/kg | q24h | NSAID / pain, inflammation |
| 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). |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your ferret's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
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 ferrets may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Meloxicam dose ranges in ferrets, with cited source references: PO 0.2 mg/kg q24h; SC 0.2 mg/kg q24h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Meloxicam in ferrets: PO, SC.
Meloxicam is indicated in ferrets for: NSAID / pain, inflammation.
These are general warnings for Meloxicam across species; consult the ferret 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 ferrets — 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.