VETINUITY
Why does the US label carry a boxed warning for cats?
Repeated use of meloxicam in cats has been associated with acute renal failure and death in the US, so the label limits cats to a single injection.
● ANSWER
Sourced & dated
What is the meloxicam dose for dogs and cats?
Meloxicam is dosed at 0.2 mg/kg once, then 0.1 mg/kg once daily in dogs; in US cats the label allows a single 0.3 mg/kg SC injection only, while some other countries label 0.05 mg/kg PO daily long term.
● VETINUITY MELOXICAM DOSE CALCULATOR
Vetinuity meloxicam dose calculator
Injection 5 mg/mL. Oral suspension: 1.5 mg/mL (dog) and 0.5 mg/mL (cat); check which bottle.
● WHAT'S DOCUMENTED
Vetinuity’s meloxicam dose table: dogs get 0.2 mg/kg once by injection or mouth, then 0.1 mg/kg once daily; US-labeled use in cats is a single 0.3 mg/kg SC injection, while several other countries label cats for 0.05 mg/kg by mouth once daily for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The Vetinuity meloxicam dose calculator above gives milligrams and millilitres, and it matters which oral suspension is on the shelf: the dog product is three times the strength of the cat product.
Dose table
| Indication | Dog | Cat | Route and frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| First dose, acute or postoperative pain | 0.2 mg/kg | 0.3 mg/kg (US), or 0.2 mg/kg (other labels) | IV or SC once; dog also PO |
| Maintenance | 0.1 mg/kg | 0.05 mg/kg (non-US label) | PO q24h |
| Osteoarthritis, long term | 0.1 mg/kg, lowest effective dose | Low-dose regimens in selected cats | PO q24h with food |
Cats: the label is the story
In the US, the injectable label limits cats to one perioperative dose, with a boxed warning against repeat dosing after cases of acute kidney injury and death. The ISFM and AAFP guidelines, however, support carefully monitored long-term NSAID use in cats with chronic pain, at the lowest effective dose, in well-hydrated cats with stable kidney values. Gowan and colleagues followed aged cats with degenerative joint disease on long-term meloxicam and did not find faster renal progression in those with stable chronic kidney disease. Any long-term plan in a cat is extra-label in the US and needs baseline and serial creatinine, SDMA and urine specific gravity.
Cautions in both species
Withhold in dehydration, hypotension, shock, kidney or liver disease, GI ulceration, and alongside corticosteroids or other NSAIDs. Stop and recheck if vomiting, melena or inappetence appear. An overdose, such as a dog that ate the bottle of suspension, is handled on the NSAID overdose page; GI protection is covered on the famotidine page.
This page is part of Vetinuity, a clinical assistant that Brian Toncray, DVM, an emergency veterinarian, built for vets in practice. Compare carprofen, robenacoxib, and the add-on analgesic gabapentin.
● SOURCES
- 1. DailyMed: Metacam (meloxicam) label search. Boxed Warning; Dosage and Administration. Checked 2026-10-26.
- 2. Sparkes AH, Heiene R, Lascelles BD, et al. ISFM and AAFP consensus guidelines: long-term use of NSAIDs in cats. J Feline Med Surg. 2010;12(7):521-538. PMID 20610311. Recommendations. Checked 2026-10-26.
- 3. Gowan RA, Lingard AE, Johnston L, et al. Retrospective case-control study of the effects of long-term dosing with meloxicam on renal function in aged cats with degenerative joint disease. J Feline Med Surg. 2011;13(10):752-761. PMID 21906984. Abstract. Checked 2026-10-26.
● RELATED ANSWERS
- Ibuprofen and NSAID Overdose in Dogs: Toxic Doses
Ibuprofen causes GI signs in dogs from 100-125 mg/kg, renal failure from 175-300 mg/kg, CNS signs above 400 mg/kg and can be lethal above 600 mg/kg; naproxen is toxic at far lower doses.
- Carprofen Dose for Dogs and Cats (Rimadyl)
Carprofen is dosed at 4.4 mg/kg once daily or 2.2 mg/kg twice daily, PO or SC, in dogs; it is not labeled for cats in the US, and some other countries label only a single 4 mg/kg perioperative injection in cats.
- Robenacoxib (Onsior) Dose for Dogs and Cats
Robenacoxib is 2 mg/kg SC once daily in dogs and cats, or tablets once daily (2 mg/kg in dogs, 1 mg/kg in cats), for a short label course starting before surgery.
- Gabapentin Dose for Dogs and Cats
Gabapentin is dosed at 5-10 mg/kg PO every 8-12 hours in dogs and cats for chronic or neuropathic pain, and at 100 mg per cat PO about 90 minutes before a veterinary visit.
- Famotidine (Pepcid) Dose for Dogs and Cats
Famotidine is dosed at 0.5-1 mg/kg PO or slow IV every 12 hours in dogs and cats; twice-daily dosing matters because once-daily famotidine barely moves gastric pH.
● FAQ
How long between meloxicam and another NSAID or a steroid?
Never combine them. Washout periods of several days are commonly used when switching NSAIDs, and a steroid should not overlap with an NSAID.
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