Meloxidyl for Dogs and Cats
Formulation
Liquid
Active ingredient
Meloxicam
Category
Pain relief / anti-inflammatory
What is Meloxidyl?
Meloxidyl is a brand name of meloxicam, a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) commonly used in dogs and cats as a pain relief. Meloxidyl is a liquid pain relief and anti-inflammatory for pets that might be prescribed for joint pain, post-surgery, and several other painful conditions.
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How does Meloxidyl work?
Meloxidyl works by stopping an enzyme called COX. This enzyme makes a signal called prostaglandin H₂ that causes swelling and pain. Prostaglandin H₂ also attracts cells that lead to more inflammation. By stopping COX, meloxicam helps reduce the production of these prostaglandins and the swelling they cause.
One advantage of the meloxicam in Meloxidyl is that it mainly blocks COX-2, which is the type of COX that causes pain and inflammation, while having less effect on COX-1. COX-1 is another form of the enzyme that helps keep the stomach and kidneys healthy. This selective action makes Meloxidyl a good choice for managing pain and inflammation because it lowers the risk of side effects compared to medicines that block both COX enzymes equally.
What is the drug Meloxidyl used for?
Meloxidyl is often used in various situations where your pet is in pain, especially if inflammation is also a concern. Here are a few examples:
Managing arthritis: Meloxidyl helps reduce joint inflammation and eases joint pain, making movement more comfortable when dogs and cats have arthritis.
Post-surgery pain: After surgeries, Meloxidyl is often prescribed to manage pain and reduce inflammation in the skin, muscles, joints, and organs that have been affected by the procedure.
Injury relief: Meloxidyl can be used as pain relief for a wide range of injuries, from minor cuts and grazes to strains and sprains.
Dental pain: Meloxidyl is also effective for relieving pain in pets with dental disease, whether they’re waiting for surgery or recovering afterward. For more information about treating dental pain, our e-learning courses “Dental disease in dogs” and “Dental disease in cats” are ideal.
Pain trials: Particularly in cats, it can be hard to tell if they’re in pain. A pain trial, where Meloxidyl is given for a short period to see if there’s an improvement, can help confirm whether a cat is experiencing discomfort.
This list isn’t exhaustive—there are many situations where your vet might decide that Meloxidyl is the best option for your pet.
Which pets is Meloxidyl not suitable for?
Some pets shouldn’t have meloxicam such as Meloxidyl. These include:
- Pregnant or lactating dogs and cats
- Pets who are allergic to meloxicam or the other ingredients
- Cats or dogs less than 6 weeks old
- Cats or dogs with severe kidney problems, heart problems, or liver problems
- Cats or dogs with tummy and gut issues, especially blood in the vomit or stool
- Dehydrated animals or those with a low blood pressure
- Cats or dogs with bleeding disorders
However, your vet might still recommend Meloxidyl in these pets if they do a risk-benefit analysis and decide it’s in your pet’s best interest to have Meloxidyl even though they’re in these risk categories. For example, cats with chronic kidney disease might still be prescribed meloxicam for arthritis so they can live pain-free.
What are the side effects of Meloxidyl in dogs and cats?
Melxodyl, like all drugs, is known to have side effects. These are usually rare when the drug is used properly. The side effects listed below are listed on the product datasheet, but there may be more side effects we don’t yet have data for. That’s why it’s so important to report pet drug side effects to the VMD. Here’s what we know about side effects of Meloxidyl:
- Digestive upset: Some pets taking Meloxidyl might get vomiting, diarrhoea, or a loss of appetite. Current evidence suggests this happens in less than 1 in 10,000 cats and dogs, but in my opinion it may be more common. You should particularly look out for bloody vomit, bloody diarrhoea, or black, tarry stools in pets on Meloxidyl – theseare signs of gut ulceration which can be an emergency.
- Kidney problems: Kidney failure is a possible side effect of Meloxidyl, although it is rare- affecting less than 1 in 10,000 treated cats and dogs. In some cases, Meloxidyl may make existing kidney problems worse, which is why your vet might recommend a blood test before and during treatment with Meloxidyl.
- Changes in behaviour: Keep an eye out for any changes in your cat or dog’s behaviour or activity levels. Lethargy affects less than 1 in 10,000 pets taking Meloxidyl and usually goes away when the treatment is stopped.
- Allergic reactions: Though not common, allergic reactions can occur. Signs to watch for include skin irritations, itching, or swelling, especially around the face.
Remember, this list doesn’t include all possible side effects, and most pets won’t experience any of these. Most of the side effects listed are transient, going away within a few days of stopping the medication. If you see Meloxidyl side effects, you should stop giving the medication and call your vet for advice.
Not only will your vet suggest changes to your pet’s medications if needed, they also have a duty to report the side effect (known as a Suspected Adverse Reaction) to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) in the UK. The VMD monitors and investigates these reports and can remove the drug’s license or force a change in the drug’s listed side effects if they spot trends.
As a pet owner, you can also report a suspected side effect to the VMD if you think Meloxidyl caused problems for your pet. Or, read our article for more advice about reporting suspected pet drug side effects to the VMD.
How to give Meloxidyl safely
As with all medicines, it’s important to use Meloxidyl safely to reduce the risk of side effects. Here’s our top tips for safe use of Meloxidyl:
- Follow vet instructions: Always use Meloxidyl exactly as your vet has prescribed. This includes the right dose and frequency of doses. Never adjust the dose on your own, even if your dog or cat seems to be feeling better or worse. If you aren’t sure of the dose prescribed, please call your vet to confirm.
- Syringe use: The syringe provided with Meloxidyl is a special syringe. For ease of dosing, the numbers on the side correspond to your pet’s weight. This means that the ‘5’ on the syringe is for 5kg, not 5mls, and giving 5mls would be a huge overdose. If you lose the syringe that comes with the Meloxidyl, call your vet and arrange to get a spare. Do not use a syringe from a different brand or product as this could lead to the wrong dose being given.
Please note that Meloxidyl for dogs comes with two syringes – one for accurate dosing of dogs under 7kg and the other for accurate dosing of dogs over 7kg. If your Meloxidyl comes with two syringes, use the most appropriate one for your dog’s size. - Shake the bottle: Meloxidyl is a suspension of powder in a liquid, which means the meloxicam may settle over time and become uneven in the bottle. Make sure you shake it to redistribute the meloxicam before attaching the syringe and drawing up the dose.
- Give with or after food: It’s safest to give Meloxidyl on a full stomach as this reduces the side effects of meloxicam. You can either put it on your pet’s food or syringe it directly into their mouth after they’ve eaten.
- Check with your vet if giving anything else: Your vet should be aware of other drugs your pet is on, but it’s always worth double-checking in case there’s been a miscommunication somewhere. If your dog or cat is on supplements or non-prescription treatments (even if these are herbal) you should also tell your vet when they prescribe Meloxidyl, as they may not be suitable to be given together, either preventing each other from working or increasing the risk of side effects.
- Report any accidental overdose to your vet immediately: If you have mistakenly given too much Meloxidyl, speak to a vet as soon as you realise the error. They may recommend blood tests, intravenous fluids, or monitoring, depending how much the overdose is.
How much monitoring do pets need on Meloxidyl?
Moderate
Pets on Meloxidyl need occasional blood tests
If Meloxidyl is being used short-term (less than 2 weeks), your vet may not recommend any monitoring, especially if your pet is young and healthy. For longer term use, even in young pets, regular blood and/or urine tests are usually recommended. These are usually every 3-12 months depending on your pet’s health.
What does Meloxidyl cost?
£ – Relatively inexpensive
Meloxidyl costs £8-20 per month
Meloxidyl costs vary depending on the size of your pet, but can be as little as £8 per month, making Meloxidyl a slightly cheaper alternative to other meloxicam products we’ve looked at, at least at the time of writing, although there isn’t much in it! Remember to take into account the prescription, dispensing and postage costs when comparing costs to buy Meloxidyl online.
You don’t have to buy Meloxidyl from your vet, but if you choose to buy it elsewhere your vet will need to give you a written prescription. Vets are allowed to charge a reasonable fee to cover their professional time checking doses and writing a written prescription for use elsewhere.
Meloxidyl FAQs
How quickly does Meloxidyl work for pain?
Meloxidyl usually works quickly, with full effect within 2 hours. If your dog or cat still seems to be in pain after 2 hours, you should contact your vet for advice as additional pain relief may be needed.
Is it better to give meloxicam morning or night?
It’s up to you whether you give Meloxidyl in the morning or at night – the most important thing is that meloxicam is given alongside a meal or on a full stomach. It’s also important to give it at a time you’ll remember as it needs to be given at the same time each day.
If both morning and night work equally well for you, then morning might be slightly better- your dog or cat gets the full benefit of the medication while they’re awake during the day, and it starts to wear off as they’re asleep and don’t need it as much.
What types of Meloxidyl are available?
Meloxicam comes as a liquid solution, in two concentrations – the 0.5mg/ml concentration is for cats, while the 1.5mg/ml concentration is for dogs. It’s very important to make sure you are giving the right concentration for your pet’s species, and you should check this whenever you get a new bottle.
Meloxidyl comes in different bottle sizes – for long-term pain relief, it’s often cheaper to buy a bigger bottle, but once open the bottle needs using within 6 months.
Is Meloxidyl a strong painkiller?
Meloxidyl is a good anti-inflammatory commonly used as a first-line pain killer in pets. It’s appropriate for mild pain, but wouldn’t be appropriate to be used alone in very painful conditions like broken limbs. In these cases, Meloxidyl will often be used alongside other painkillers (for more information, see Meloxidyl Alternatives below)
Meloxidyl Alternatives
If Meloxidyl isn’t suiting your pet or there are problems getting hold of it, there are lots of alternatives. The alternative brand names of meloxicam that may work for your pet include:
- Liquids: Inflacam, Rheumocam, Metacam, Chanoxidyl, Animeloxan, Melosus, Meloxaid, Arthrocam, Meloxoral, Meloxyl, Metaxx, Movocam
- Tablets: Inflacam (pork flavoured), Rheumocam (pork flavoured), Lemicam (unspecified flavour),
Different NSAIDs
If meloxicam (like Meloxidyl) isn’t suiting your pet, your vet might recommend a switch to another NSAID with a different active ingredient. In cats, the only other licensed NSAID is Onsior. Dogs have several options:
- Carprofen (Rimadyl, Dolagis)
- Firocoxib (Previcox)
- Cimicoxib (Cimalgex)
- Grapiprant (Galliprant)
- Robenacoxib (Onsior)
Other pain-relief drugs
If Meloxidyl isn’t fully controlling your pet’s pain, your vet might recommend starting another medication alongside it. They might recommend exploring:
- Tramadol (Tralieve, Tramadog, Tramalgesic, Tramtab, Tramcoat, Tramsan, Tramvetol)
- Gabapentin
- Amantadine
- Buprenorphine
- Ketamine injections
They might also recommend complementary therapies alongside, like laser therapy, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, or anti-inflammatory supplements.
Meloxidyl Datasheet
All drugs have a manufacturer’s datasheet, which gives information about the drug’s use and possible side effects. There is usually one in your Meloxidyl box, but if you have lost it you can click on the button below to be taken on an online version.
More help for your painful pet
If your pet is on Meloxidyl for pain relief, you want to do everything you can to help. Our courses have been written by vets to help pet owners learn about their pet’s condition and how to help their pets holistically. The following courses may be helpful if you’re concerned your pet is in pain:
Please note that the information contained herein is provided for informational purposes only. Although it has been written by a vet, we cannot consider the individual nature of your pet’s problems so it does not constitute veterinary advice. If you have questions about your pet’s medication or their health you should contact a vet, who will be able to help.
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