Get your patient on Meloxicam

Meloxicam Oral Suspension is indicated for the control of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in dogs.

Always provide client information sheet with prescription. Carefully consider the potential benefits and risk of Meloxicam Oral Suspension and other treatment options before deciding to use Meloxicam Oral Suspension. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration consistent with individual response. Meloxicam Oral Suspension should be administered initially at 0.09 mg/lb (0.2 mg/kg) body weight only on the first day of treatment. For all treatments after day 1, Meloxicam Oral Suspension should be administered once daily at a dose of 0.045 mg/lb (0.1 mg/kg). The syringe is calibrated to deliver the daily maintenance dose in pounds.

Field safety was evaluated in 306 dogs. Based on the results of two studies, GI abnormalities (vomiting, soft stools, diarrhea, and inappetence) were the most common adverse reactions associated with the administration of meloxicam. The following table lists adverse reactions and the numbers of dogs that experienced them during the studies. Dogs may have experienced more than one episode of the adverse reaction during the study.

In foreign suspected adverse drug reaction (SADR) reporting over a 9 year period, incidences of adverse reactions related to meloxicam administration included: auto-immune hemolytic anemia (1 dog), thrombocytopenia (1 dog), polyarthritis (1 dog), nursing puppy lethargy (1 dog), and pyoderma (1 dog).

Meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) of the oxicam class. Each milliliter of Meloxicam Oral Suspension contains meloxicam equivalent to 1.5 milligrams and sodium benzoate (1.5 milligrams) as a preservative. The chemical name for Meloxicam is 4-Hydroxy-2-methyl-N-(5-methyl-2-thiazolyl)-2H-1,2-benzothiazine-3-carboxamide-1, 1-dioxide. The formulation is a yellowish viscous suspension.

Meloxicam has nearly 100% bioavailability when administered orally with food. The terminal elimination half life after a single dose is estimated to be approximately 24 hrs (+/-30%) regardless of route of administration. There is no evidence of statistically significant gender differences in drug pharmacokinetics. Drug bioavailability, volume of distribution, and total systemic clearance remain constant up to 5 times the recommended dose for use in dogs. However, there is some evidence of enhanced drug accumulation and terminal elimination half-life prolongation when dogs are dosed for 45 days or longer.

Peak drug concentrations can be expected to occur within about 7.5 hrs after oral administration. Corresponding peak concentration is approximately 0.464 mcg/mL following a 0.2 mg/kg oral dose. The drug is 97% bound to canine plasma proteins.

Meloxicam Oral Suspension 1.5 mg/mL is supplied in 10 mL NDC 86101-067-54, 32 mL NDC 86101-067-52, 100 mL NDC 86101-067-53 and 200 mL NDC 86101-067-55 bottles with measuring syringe (1 mL and 5 mL).