What is Dr. Zubair Khalid's research focus?

Dr. Zubair Khalid specializes in molecular virology, mRNA vaccine development, and computational biology, with a focus on avian pathogens like IBDV and Avian Reovirus.

Where is Dr. Zubair Khalid currently working?

Dr. Zubair Khalid is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Maryland (UMD), specifically within the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences.

Meloxicam for Cats: Safe Dosing and Risks

Name: Meloxicam for Cats: Safe Dosing and Risks
Creator: Dr. Zubair Khalid

By Dr. Zubair Khalid, DVM, MS, PhD · 2026-09-20

Meloxicam is a prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used in cats to control pain and inflammation. In the United States, the injectable form is labeled for a single subcutaneous dose after surgery, and the oral suspension is labeled for a short, limited course of at-home treatment. Meloxicam is not an over-the-counter product for cats, and it is not the same drug, dose, or formulation used in people or dogs. The margin between a helpful dose and a harmful one is narrower in cats than in almost any other species, which is why every dose in this article comes from a product label or a published veterinary study rather than from a conversion chart.

This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment.

At a Glance

Feature	Detail
Active ingredient	Meloxicam, an oxicam-class NSAID
Brand examples	Metacam (injectable and oral suspension)
Species	Cats, with separate dog and horse products that must never be substituted
Labeled uses in cats	Single subcutaneous injection for postoperative pain (US injectable label), short oral course for pain and inflammation (US oral suspension label), longer-term oral use for chronic pain in some regions [1][2]
How it is given	Subcutaneous injection by a veterinarian, or oral suspension by syringe
Typical onset	Analgesic effect begins within hours of injection [3]
Duration	Roughly 24 hours per dose, which is why the oral label is given once daily [3][1]
Prescription status	Prescription only in the United States
Main risks	Kidney injury and gastrointestinal upset, especially in dehydrated or hypotensive cats [4][5]

What Meloxicam Is and How It Works

Meloxicam belongs to the oxicam family of NSAIDs. It works by inhibiting cyclooxygenase enzymes, the same enzymes that produce prostaglandins. Prostaglandins drive pain, fever, and inflammation, but they also protect the stomach lining and help maintain blood flow to the kidneys. Blocking them reduces pain and swelling, and it also removes some of the kidney's built-in safety cushion during times of low blood pressure or dehydration.

A feline endotoxin study measured how meloxicam reduces fever and found a clear dose-dependent antipyretic response, meaning higher doses produced a stronger effect up to a plateau [6]. That study also showed that meloxicam did not change the white blood cell drop caused by endotoxin, which tells us the drug is working on the prostaglandin pathway rather than on the immune response itself [6].

The critical point for cat owners is that cats metabolize NSAIDs differently from dogs and people. Cats are known to clear certain drugs more slowly, and their kidneys operate with less reserve when blood flow drops. This is the biological reason a dose that is routine in a dog can be dangerous in a cat, and why veterinarians use the lowest effective dose for the shortest reasonable time.

Labeled Uses of Meloxicam in Cats

Meloxicam has more than one labeled use, and the label differs by country and by product form. Understanding which use applies to your cat prevents the most common and most dangerous mistake, which is continuing an injection-only protocol at home.

Single subcutaneous dose for postoperative pain

The US injectable label for cats is a single subcutaneous dose given before or around the time of surgery. Published clinical work reflects this pattern. One study used 0.2 mg/kg subcutaneously on Day 1, followed by 0.05 mg/kg orally per day for up to five days, and reported no difference in safety or efficacy between a three-day and a five-day course in cats undergoing onychectomy and sterilization [3]. A separate orthopedic surgery trial used a single 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneous dose before surgery and then placebo tablets afterward, and found that single injection was effective for perioperative pain control [7]. A randomized trial involving cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy used 0.2 mg/kg and found meloxicam controlled postoperative pain effectively, with owners reporting low pain scores [8].

The pattern across these studies is consistent. The injectable drug is designed to cover the surgical window, and the decision to continue oral treatment afterward is a separate clinical judgment.

Oral suspension for short-term pain and inflammation

The oral suspension is labeled for a short course. In a multicenter trial of cats with acute locomotor disorders, cats received 0.1 mg/kg orally on Day 1 followed by 0.05 mg/kg once daily on Days 2 through 5, and the treatment was well tolerated and effective [2]. That same study found meloxicam was significantly more palatable than ketoprofen tablets and allowed more accurate dosing, which matters because a cat that spits out a dose is not being treated [2].

Longer-term oral use for chronic pain

In some regions, oral meloxicam is labeled for longer-term use in cats with chronic pain such as degenerative joint disease, at a lower daily dose than the short course. Published feline studies have examined this pattern. A prospective study of cats with osteoarthritis used 0.01 to 0.03 mg/kg once daily, given with food, for a mean of 5.8 months, and reported that the only adverse effect was gastrointestinal upset in 2 of 46 cats, with no detected decline in renal function [1]. A retrospective case-control study of cats older than 7 years with degenerative joint disease that received meloxicam for more than six months found no evidence that long-term therapy accelerated chronic kidney disease progression compared with matched control cats [9]. A prospective randomized study of cats with stable International Renal Interest Society stage 2 or 3 chronic kidney disease given 0.02 mg/kg per day for six months found no decline in renal excretory function, though four cats stopped treatment because of potential adverse effects that were mainly gastrointestinal [5].

These studies describe carefully selected cats under veterinary supervision, not a general green light for indefinite at-home dosing. The dose used for chronic pain is lower than the dose used for acute pain, and that difference is deliberate.

Dosing Table (Label-Sourced Doses Only)

Every figure below comes from a product label or a published study. Do not calculate a dose at home from a human or dog product.

Scenario	Dose	Route	Frequency	Source
Postoperative pain, Day 1 (short course protocol)	0.2 mg/kg	Subcutaneous	Once	[3]
Postoperative pain, Day 1 (single-injection protocol)	0.3 mg/kg	Subcutaneous	Once	[7]
Postoperative pain, Days 2 to 5	0.05 mg/kg	Oral	Every 24 hours	[3]
Acute locomotor pain, Day 1	0.1 mg/kg	Oral	Once	[2]
Acute locomotor pain, Days 2 to 5	0.05 mg/kg	Oral	Every 24 hours	[2]
Chronic pain (osteoarthritis), some regions	0.01 to 0.03 mg/kg	Oral, with food	Every 24 hours	[1]
Chronic pain in cats with stable CKD (study setting)	0.02 mg/kg	Oral	Every 24 hours	[5]

Two practical notes. First, the injectable dose is higher than the oral maintenance dose because it is given once, under veterinary supervision, when the cat's hydration and blood pressure are being managed. Second, the oral suspension is dosed by body weight and drawn up with the syringe supplied with the product. Household teaspoons are not accurate enough for a drug with this narrow a margin.

How to Give Oral Meloxicam

Give the oral suspension with food when the label directs it. The long-term osteoarthritis study specifically gave meloxicam with food [1]. Food reduces direct contact between the drug and the stomach lining and slows absorption slightly, which is gentler on the gastrointestinal tract.

Draw the dose with the syringe that comes with the bottle. Do not use a kitchen measuring spoon. Do not mix the dose into a full bowl of food unless your veterinarian tells you the cat will finish the entire bowl, because a cat that eats half the bowl gets half the dose, and a cat that refuses the food gets none.

If your cat vomits shortly after a dose, do not give a second dose to make up for it. Call your veterinarian. Doubling up is one of the ways cats get into trouble with NSAIDs.

Store the bottle as the label directs, usually at room temperature and away from direct light. Shake the suspension before drawing a dose if the label instructs it.

Side Effects and What to Do About Them

Meloxicam side effects in cats cluster into two groups, gastrointestinal and renal, and both can be subtle at the start.

Gastrointestinal signs

The most commonly reported adverse effect in long-term feline studies is gastrointestinal upset. In the osteoarthritis study, 2 of 46 cats (4 percent) developed gastrointestinal upset, and it was the only adverse effect noted [1]. In the chronic kidney disease study, four cats discontinued meloxicam because of potential adverse effects that were mainly gastrointestinal [5]. In the cancer study combining meloxicam with toceranib, no cats were withdrawn because of adverse events from the drug combination [10].

Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, or a cat that seems uncomfortable after eating. Any of these warrants a call to your veterinarian before the next dose.

Renal signs

Kidney injury from NSAIDs is the risk that gets the most attention, and it is real. A case series from Australia described 18 cats that developed acute kidney injury after receiving injectable meloxicam. All 18 received injectable drug, and the indication and dose were within the manufacturer's recommendations for that country. The majority, 13 of 18, received the 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneous label dose on the day of the procedure, and in 12 of 18 the injection was given in association with general anesthesia or sedation. Fourteen of the 18 cats survived to hospital discharge [4].

That case series is the clearest published signal that the perioperative setting carries risk. Anesthesia and sedation can lower blood pressure, and a cat that is not drinking before or after a procedure may be mildly dehydrated. Both conditions reduce kidney blood flow, and an NSAID removes the prostaglandin support that would normally help the kidney cope. A viewpoint article later questioned whether injectable meloxicam should be approved for cats at all, noting that acute kidney injury data from the original clinical trial were not included in the published version of that trial [11].

The counterweight is the prospective evidence in cats with existing kidney disease. In the six-month study of cats with stable stage 2 or 3 chronic kidney disease, no decline in renal excretory function was observed on 0.02 mg/kg per day, though mean urine protein to creatinine ratio was higher in the meloxicam group at six months [5]. That finding means protein loss in urine is worth monitoring even when creatinine and other kidney markers look stable.

What to do if you see a problem

Stop the medication and call your veterinarian if you see vomiting, diarrhea, refusal to eat, unusual lethargy, or a sudden drop in how much your cat drinks or urinates. Do not wait for a scheduled recheck if your cat looks unwell. Early intervention is the difference between a cat that recovers with supportive care and a cat that develops lasting kidney damage.

Cats That Should Not Receive Meloxicam

Meloxicam is not appropriate for every cat. The published evidence points to specific situations where the risk outweighs the benefit.

Cats that are dehydrated, vomiting, or not eating should not receive meloxicam until those problems are corrected. Dehydration reduces kidney blood flow, and an NSAID on top of that is the exact combination that produced the acute kidney injury cases in the Australian series [4].

Cats with unstable or worsening kidney disease need careful assessment before any NSAID. The prospective study that found meloxicam safe in kidney disease enrolled cats with stable stage 2 or 3 disease, meaning their kidney values were not actively deteriorating [5]. A cat in an acute kidney crisis is a different patient.

Cats with gastrointestinal ulcers or a history of gastrointestinal bleeding should not receive meloxicam. NSAIDs reduce the prostaglandins that protect the stomach lining, and a cat with existing ulceration has no reserve.

Cats receiving other nephrotoxic drugs need a specific conversation with the veterinarian. Combining meloxicam with another drug that stresses the kidneys raises the risk beyond what either drug does alone. The perioperative cases in the Australian series involved anesthesia and sedation, which is a related situation where blood pressure and kidney perfusion are already under strain [4].

Cats that are hypotensive, meaning their blood pressure is low, should not receive meloxicam until blood pressure is stabilized. Low blood pressure reduces kidney perfusion, and NSAIDs remove the compensatory prostaglandin response.

Kittens and cats below the minimum age or weight on the product label should not receive meloxicam. Use the label as the floor, not as a suggestion.

Drug and Condition Interactions

Meloxicam should not be combined with another NSAID, including aspirin. A crossover study in healthy cats compared aspirin at 5 mg/kg every 48 hours, meloxicam at 0.05 mg/kg every 24 hours, and placebo, and found that neither drug affected whole blood platelet aggregation at those doses [12]. That study was about platelet function, not about safety of combining the two, and combining NSAIDs is still avoided because the gastrointestinal and renal effects add together.

Corticosteroids and meloxicam should not be given together without a compelling reason and close supervision. Both reduce prostaglandin protection of the stomach and kidney.

Diuretics and drugs that affect blood pressure can compound the kidney stress from meloxicam. If your cat is on any of these, the prescribing veterinarian needs to know about every medication, including supplements.

The cancer study combining meloxicam with toceranib phosphate is worth noting because it shows a specific combination that was tolerated. In that study, meloxicam at 0.02 mg/kg once daily was safe and well tolerated when given on opposite days to toceranib, with no cats withdrawn because of adverse events from the combination [10]. This is a specialist protocol, not a general example of safe polypharmacy.

How Meloxicam Compares With Other Pain Options

Meloxicam is one of several NSAIDs used in cats, and it is not always the first choice.

Robenacoxib is a coxib-class NSAID with higher selectivity for the cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme. In an orthopedic surgery trial, a single robenacoxib injection was statistically non-inferior to a single 0.3 mg/kg meloxicam injection for perioperative pain control [7]. In an ovariohysterectomy trial comparing meloxicam at 0.2 mg/kg with robenacoxib at 2 mg/kg, both drugs controlled postoperative pain, but owners reported more abnormal behaviors and higher pain scores in the robenacoxib group, suggesting meloxicam may have an efficacy edge in some patients [8].

Buprenorphine is an opioid rather than an NSAID, and it works through a completely different pathway. It is often used alongside an NSAID rather than instead of one. A study comparing sustained-release subcutaneous buprenorphine with oral transmucosal buprenorphine in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy administered a single postoperative dose of meloxicam to all cats in both groups, which reflects how commonly the two drug classes are combined for surgical pain [13]. Opioids do not carry the kidney and gastrointestinal risks that NSAIDs do, but they carry their own sedation and respiratory considerations.

Dipyrone is an analgesic used in some regions. A study comparing dipyrone at two doses with meloxicam at 0.1 mg/kg in cats after ovariohysterectomy measured cyclooxygenase inhibition and analgesic efficacy across the three groups [14]. This is a regional alternative rather than a US standard.

The practical takeaway is that meloxicam is effective and well studied, but it is not the only option, and the choice depends on the cat's kidney function, hydration, other medications, and the type and duration of pain being treated.

Monitoring: What Your Veterinarian Should Check

Monitoring is what makes meloxicam safe in practice. The drug itself has not changed, but the difference between a good outcome and a kidney injury often comes down to how carefully the patient is watched.

Before starting

A baseline renal panel is the foundation. Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and symmetric dimethylarginine give a picture of kidney function before the first dose, so any later change can be compared against a known starting point [5]. A urinalysis, including urine specific gravity and urine protein to creatinine ratio, adds information that blood work alone misses [9][5].

Hydration status should be assessed and documented. A cat that is even mildly dehydrated is not a good candidate for an NSAID until that is corrected [4].

Blood pressure should be measured when the cat's condition allows it. Hypotension is a specific contraindication because low blood pressure reduces kidney perfusion [4].

Body weight and body condition score should be recorded. Doses are calculated per kilogram, and a weight change changes the dose.

During treatment

Recheck timing depends on the duration of treatment. For a short postoperative course, a recheck at the end of the course is reasonable. For longer-term use, the osteoarthritis study monitored cats regularly over a mean of 5.8 months [1], and the kidney disease study rechecked cats at 1, 3, and 6 months with blood pressure, chemistry, symmetric dimethylarginine, glomerular filtration rate, urinalysis, and urine protein to creatinine ratio [5]. A practical schedule for long-term use follows that pattern: a recheck in the first month, then every three to six months if the cat is stable.

Urine protein to creatinine ratio deserves specific attention in cats with kidney disease. In the six-month study, mean urine protein to creatinine ratio was higher in the meloxicam group than the placebo group at six months [5]. That is a signal to track protein loss over time, not just creatinine.

At home

Owners are the first line of monitoring. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, lethargy, and changes in drinking or urination. Report any of these promptly. The gastrointestinal effects in the long-term studies were the most common reason cats stopped treatment [1][5], and catching them early allows a dose adjustment or a switch to a different drug before a mild problem becomes a serious one.

Limitations and When to Contact a Veterinarian

This article summarizes published evidence and label information. It cannot account for your cat's individual kidney function, hydration, blood pressure, other medications, or the specific reason meloxicam was prescribed. Those factors determine whether meloxicam is appropriate and at what dose.

Contact a veterinarian promptly if your cat vomits, has diarrhea, stops eating, becomes unusually lethargic, or shows any change in drinking or urination while receiving meloxicam.

Contact a veterinarian immediately if your cat collapses, has difficulty breathing, or shows signs of severe pain that is not controlled by the prescribed dose.

Contact a veterinarian before giving any additional dose if you are unsure whether a dose was given or vomited up.

Contact a veterinarian before combining meloxicam with any other medication, supplement, or over-the-counter product, including aspirin.

Contact a veterinarian if your cat's weight changes significantly during treatment, because the dose is calculated per kilogram.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I give my cat human meloxicam?

No. Human meloxicam products are formulated and dosed for people, and the concentration and dosing interval are not appropriate for cats. Use only the veterinary product prescribed for your cat.

Is meloxicam safe for cats with kidney disease?

It can be used in some cats with stable kidney disease under veterinary supervision. A six-month study of cats with stable stage 2 or 3 chronic kidney disease found no decline in renal excretory function on 0.02 mg/kg per day, though urine protein loss was higher in the treated group [5]. Cats with unstable or worsening kidney disease are a different situation and need individual assessment.

How long can a cat take meloxicam?

The labeled short course in the United States runs about three to five days after surgery [3][2]. Longer-term use for chronic pain occurs in some regions at a lower dose and requires ongoing monitoring [1].

What are the warning signs of a problem with meloxicam in cats?

Vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, lethargy, and changes in drinking or urination are the main warning signs. Gastrointestinal upset was the most common adverse effect in long-term studies [1][5], and kidney injury is the most serious risk, particularly after injectable use around anesthesia [4].

Why is meloxicam dosed differently in cats than in dogs?

Cats metabolize NSAIDs differently and have less kidney reserve when blood flow drops. The feline dose is lower and the duration is shorter than the canine protocol for these reasons.

Can meloxicam be given with other pain medications?

It is commonly combined with opioids such as buprenorphine for surgical pain [13]. It should not be combined with another NSAID, and combinations with corticosteroids or other kidney-stressing drugs need veterinary guidance.

Does meloxicam cause kidney failure in cats?

It can contribute to acute kidney injury, particularly when given by injection around anesthesia or sedation in cats that are dehydrated or hypotensive [4]. The risk is managed through patient selection, hydration, blood pressure support, and monitoring.

What should I do if I miss a dose of meloxicam?

Call your veterinarian for instructions rather than doubling the next dose. Doubling an NSAID dose increases the risk of gastrointestinal and kidney effects.