Reptile · Eublepharis macularius · typical adult weight 0.04–0.10 kg
Meloxicam is dosed at 0.3 mg/kg SC once daily for three consecutive days (post-operat in leopard geckos, 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). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.6 (Analgesic (Including Antiinflammatory) Agents Usedin Reptiles). Located 2026-08-05: the only table covering this species in which the drug's own row prints this dose. The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530. Meloxicam is used in leopard geckos for Post-operative analgesia after orchidectomy and epididymectomy, Additional sedation and analgesia just prior to right unilateral orchidectomy and epididymectomy. Routes documented in leopard geckos: SC, SC, PO. A typical adult leopard gecko weighs 0.04–0.10 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Meloxicam in leopard geckos, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Metacam
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|
| SC | 0.3 mg/kg | once daily for three consecutive days (post-operat | Post-operative analgesia after orchidectomy and epididymectomy | Weak | 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, Table 4.6 (Analgesic (Including Antiinflammatory) Agents Usedin Reptiles). Located 2026-08-05: the only table covering this species in which the drug's own row prints this dose. The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
| SC, PO | 0.3 mg/kg | single dose just prior to surgery | Additional sedation and analgesia just prior to right unilateral orchidectomy and epididymectomy | Weak | Mason AK, Lee J, Perry SM, Boykin KL, Del Piero F, Lierz M, Mitchell MA. Determining the Effects of Serial Injections of Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin on Plasma Testosterone Concentrations, Testicular Dynamics, and Semen Production in Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius). Animals (Basel). 2021;11(9):2477. doi:10.3390/ani11092477 (, ). The 0.3 mg/kg SC figure is a PRE-OPERATIVE PREMEDICATION line from that study's Materials and Methods, not a formulary recommendation. Corroborating range for reptiles generally: carpenter Table 4.6, "Meloxicam 0.1-0.5 mg/kg PO, SC q24-48h63 | Most species" - NO leopard-gecko meloxicam row is printed in carpenter or in mader Table 127.6. |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
| Dose (%) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | — | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.4 | 0.5% gel topically q24h; do not exceed 0.4 mg/kg52 Antiinflammatory for localized wounds |
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1–0.5 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.209 | 0.1-0.5 mg/kg p.o., s.c., i.m. have been suggested although analgesic effect unproven in reptiles |
| 0.1–0.5 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.6 | 0.1-0.5 mg/kg PO, SC q24-48h |
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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 leopard geckos may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Meloxicam dose ranges in leopard geckos, with cited source references: SC 0.3 mg/kg once daily for three consecutive days (post-operat; SC, PO 0.3 mg/kg single dose just prior to surgery. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Meloxicam in leopard geckos: SC, SC, PO.
Meloxicam is indicated in leopard geckos for: Post-operative analgesia after orchidectomy and epididymectomy, Additional sedation and analgesia just prior to right unilateral orchidectomy and epididymectomy.
These are general warnings for Meloxicam across species; consult the leopard gecko 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 leopard geckos — 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.
| 0.1–0.5 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.6 | 0.1-0.5 mg/kg PO, SC q24-48h149-151 Most species |
| 0.4–1 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.4 | 0.4-1 mg/kg PO, SC, ICe q24h51 Antiinflammatory; presumptive analgesia; adjunct therapy for septicemia |
| 0.4 | — | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.4 | 0.5% gel topically q24h; do not exceed 0.4 mg/kg52 Antiinflammatory for localized wounds |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.