Pocket Pet · Petaurus breviceps · typical adult weight 0.08–0.16 kg
Meloxicam is dosed at 0.5 mg/kg PO once a day in sugar gliders, per 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). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Sugar Gliders). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929. Meloxicam is used in sugar gliders for Mammary carcinoma (analgesia), Analgesia / antiinflammatory (NSAID), NSAID, Perioperative analgesia (NSAID). Routes documented in sugar gliders: PO, PO or SC, SC, PO. A typical adult sugar glider weighs 0.08–0.16 kg. ExoticRx lists 4 cited dose rules for Meloxicam in sugar gliders, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Metacam
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 0.5 mg/kg | once a day | Mammary carcinoma (analgesia) | Anecdotal | 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). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Sugar Gliders). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 |
| PO | 0.2 mg/kg | every 24 hours | Analgesia / antiinflammatory (NSAID) | Anecdotal | 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). — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9780323484350, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323484350 |
| PO or SC | 0.1–0.2 mg/kg | q 24 h | NSAID | Weak | 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). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Sugar Gliders). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 |
| SC, PO | 0.2 mg/kg | before the procedure | Perioperative analgesia (NSAID) | Anecdotal | D'Urso ES, Martorelli M, Bersanetti G, Selleri P, De Gennaro C. Combination of Dexmedetomidine and Low-Dose Ketamine in 4 Sugar Gliders (Petaurus breviceps) Undergoing Elective Castration. Vet Sci. 2025;12:699. doi:10.3390/vetsci12080699. Open access, full text read. Source of the verbatim methods passage held in this rule's notes: "Balanced electrolytic solution 10 mL/kg (Hartmann's lactated ringers), enrofloxacin 5 mg/kg diluted […]" n=4, no control arm, and the paper itself states "The pharmacokinetic profile of meloxicam in sugar gliders has not been studied yet". Dose figure corroborated by carpenter Table 7.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Sugar Gliders): "0.1-0.2 mg/kg q24h PO, SC11,32" and "0.2 mg/kg PO, SC q12h30". carpenter prints q24h or q12h, never "before the procedure", and gives no perioperative framing. |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.209 | 0.2 mg/kg p.o., s.c. q24h |
| 0.1–0.2 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 7.4 | 0.1-0.2 mg/kg q24h PO, SC,32 0.2 mg/kg PO, SC q12h 0.5 mg/kg PO q24h |
| 0.2 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 7.4 | 0.1-0.2 mg/kg q24h PO, SC,32 0.2 mg/kg PO, SC q12h 0.5 mg/kg PO q24h |
| 0.5 |
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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 sugar gliders may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Meloxicam dose ranges in sugar gliders, with cited source references: PO 0.5 mg/kg once a day; PO 0.2 mg/kg every 24 hours; PO or SC 0.1–0.2 mg/kg q 24 h; SC, PO 0.2 mg/kg before the procedure. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Meloxicam in sugar gliders: PO, PO or SC, SC, PO.
Meloxicam is indicated in sugar gliders for: Mammary carcinoma (analgesia), Analgesia / antiinflammatory (NSAID), NSAID, Perioperative analgesia (NSAID).
These are general warnings for Meloxicam across species; consult the sugar glider 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 sugar gliders — 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.
| PO |
| Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 7.4 |
| 0.1-0.2 mg/kg q24h PO, SC,32 0.2 mg/kg PO, SC q12h 0.5 mg/kg PO q24h |
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.