Meloxicam for Veterinary Use: Dogs, Cats & Prescription Products

Meloxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used in veterinary medicine to control pain and inflammation. In the United States, FDA-approved veterinary meloxicam products are prescription animal drugs, but the approved species, route of administration and conditions of use depend on the specific product.

The active ingredient name alone is not enough to determine whether a meloxicam product is appropriate for a particular animal. Product labeling matters because a formulation approved for one species or route should not be assumed to have the same approval or safety profile in another.

FDA-approved veterinary meloxicam: dogs versus cats

FDA currently identifies marketed meloxicam products for dogs in both oral and injectable forms. For cats, FDA-approved meloxicam products are injectable only.

For dogs, METACAM is one established brand name, and FDA also lists multiple generic veterinary meloxicam products. FDA-approved oral meloxicam products for dogs include oral suspensions, while injectable products are also marketed for canine use. Current FDA records for METACAM Oral Suspension identify 0.5 mg/mL and 1.5 mg/mL concentrations. METACAM Solution for Injection is labeled at 5 mg/mL.

For cats, the distinction is especially important. FDA-approved meloxicam use is limited to a single injectable administration in the labeled perioperative context. Oral meloxicam products are not FDA-approved for cats in the United States, and repeated meloxicam use in cats carries an FDA boxed warning because repeated use has been associated with acute renal failure and death.

These species and formulation differences are a reason not to generalize from a canine meloxicam product, a feline injectable product or a human meloxicam product simply because each contains the same active ingredient.

What is meloxicam used for in veterinary medicine?

Meloxicam belongs to the NSAID class. These medicines reduce pain and inflammation by affecting pathways involved in prostaglandin production.

In dogs, current FDA-approved veterinary meloxicam labeling includes control of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis. Injectable meloxicam may be used as part of a veterinarian-directed treatment plan, with the exact route and follow-on therapy determined by the product labeling and the veterinarian.

In cats, FDA-approved injectable meloxicam labeling includes control of postoperative pain and inflammation associated with orthopedic surgery, ovariohysterectomy and castration when administered before surgery. That approval does not extend to repeated injectable use or oral meloxicam use in cats.

The labeled species, route and indication should therefore be checked on the exact product rather than inferred from the ingredient name.

Is veterinary meloxicam prescription-only?

FDA states that currently marketed FDA-approved NSAIDs for dogs and cats are available by veterinarian prescription only. This includes approved veterinary meloxicam products.

A prescription should identify the medication and provide the veterinarian's directions for the individual patient. Owners should not change the product, route, amount, frequency or duration without veterinary direction.

Brand-name, generic and compounded meloxicam are different categories

A brand-name FDA-approved veterinary drug and an FDA-approved generic animal drug are both approved finished drug products. Their labels identify the species, dosage form, strength or concentration, route, warnings and conditions of use covered by that approval.

A compounded animal drug is different. Compounding can be used when an animal has a clinical need for a formulation that an available approved product does not meet, such as a medically necessary change in dosage form, concentration or other formulation characteristic. The resulting compounded preparation is not FDA-approved, even when it contains an active ingredient that also appears in an FDA-approved animal drug.

A compounded meloxicam preparation should therefore not be described as equivalent to an FDA-approved brand or generic product merely because the active ingredient is the same.

Newberry Express Pharmacy identifies Veterinary as one of its compounding service areas. That general service category does not establish that Newberry stocks, dispenses or compounds meloxicam in any particular formulation.

Why veterinary monitoring matters with meloxicam

NSAIDs can produce important adverse effects involving the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys or liver. FDA-approved veterinary NSAID labeling calls for a veterinary history and physical examination before therapy and may call for baseline and follow-up laboratory testing depending on the patient and duration of treatment.

Risk can be higher in animals with underlying disease or other clinical factors. Other NSAIDs, corticosteroids and certain additional medications may also affect the safety of therapy, so the veterinarian should know what medications and supplements the animal is receiving.

For cats, the FDA boxed warning on meloxicam deserves particular attention: additional injectable or oral meloxicam after the approved single injection should not be assumed safe simply because meloxicam can be used differently in dogs.

What to verify when filling a veterinary meloxicam prescription

Before a veterinary meloxicam prescription is filled, the prescription and product should be matched carefully. Useful details to verify include:

  • active ingredient: meloxicam;
  • intended species;
  • brand or generic product, if specified;
  • dosage form, such as oral suspension or injection;
  • strength or concentration;
  • route of administration;
  • prescription status;
  • veterinarian's patient-specific directions;
  • FDA approval information on the finished animal drug, when relevant.

An FDA-approved animal drug normally identifies its NADA or ANADA number on the label. That information can help distinguish an approved animal drug from a compounded or otherwise unapproved product.

Meloxicam can be an important veterinary NSAID, but product identity and species-specific labeling are central to using it appropriately. The exact prescription and the veterinarian's directions should control which formulation is selected and how it is used.