The administration of medication to your dog is one of the most important issues to take into account, since any error, for example in the dose, can cause serious problems in your dog’s body. Many people have thought of self-medicating their dog with some type of antibiotic or anti-inflammatory for human use and this is a serious mistake, especially if the doses that you should administer to your dog are not known, which a veterinarian should always tell you, as well as the time you have to be giving said medicine to your furry and how many times a day you should do it.
In this OneHOWTO article we are going to talk about Meloxicam for dogs: what it is for and its dosage . This medicine is widely used in veterinary medicine, so it is convenient to know how to use it and in what situations it is used.
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Index
- What is meloxicam for dogs and what is it for?
- Dosage of meloxicam for dogs – general indications
- How to give meloxicam to my dog
- Contraindications of meloxicam for dogs
- Side Effects of Meloxicam for Dogs
What is meloxicam for dogs and what is it for?
The drug called meloxicam belongs to the group of oxicams, being a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that, by inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins (lipids involved in the inflammatory response), in turn exerts an anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic and antiexudative effect .
If you have asked yourself ” when should I give my dog meloxicam ?” You should know that this medication is usually administered in cases where the dog has received a blow and has pain and/or inflammation. Its use also predominates before and after surgery to prevent any inflammation from occurring and is also common in dogs suffering from arthritis, where it is used as an analgesic to prevent the dog from feeling discomfort. For this reason, it is common to use this treatment in the short term and for situations involving acute inflammation with moderate pain.
Dosage of meloxicam for dogs – general indications
The doses to be administered to your dog will be indicated by the veterinarian according to their weight. The dosage of meloxicam for dogs is as follows:
- Treatment is started with a single dose of 0.2 mg of this drug for every kg of dog weight.
- The following days, a dose of 0.1 mg per kg of the dog will be administered every 24 hours, that is, once a day.
In most cases , an improvement in the dog’s condition is observed after 4-5 days from the start of treatment. If no improvement is observed and up to 10 days have passed, it will be necessary to stop the treatment, since it could cause problems in your body. If it has been decided to apply this medication long-term, surely the veterinarian will indicate the minimum effective dose to ensure that the problem ends.
How to give meloxicam to my dog
Meloxicam , also called metacam or meloxivet , among other brand names, typically comes in a bottle of thick syrup , which must be shaken well before being given to the dog. You will have to give it to your dog orally along with food . For this reason, it is convenient that your dog has eaten before so that it is not aggressive for his stomach, but you can also put it on top of his food and make sure that he has eaten everything.
In addition to being administered in liquid format directly in the mouth or food, it can also be administered in tablets or intravenously , which the veterinarian will decide according to the problem to be treated. The tablets do not have a bad taste, so the dog normally ingests them without problems. In any case, if you see that he spits it out and does not swallow it, you can wrap it in a piece of ham or cheese so that he does not see it and offer it to him. If the decision of the professional is to apply it by injection, the veterinarian himself will place a line in your dog to be able to carry out this process himself.
Contraindications of meloxicam for dogs
Meloxicam has a series of contraindications to be taken into account, since it can cause problems if it is applied to dogs that are not suitable for its administration. The main contraindications of meloxicam for dogs are the following:
- Do not use in dogs with the following problems: Any gastrointestinal problems, liver, kidney or heart problems as well as bleeding disorders.
- Do not use in pregnant or lactating bitches.
- Never use in puppies less than 6 weeks old.
- If you know that your dog has hypersensitivity to this drug, you should consult your veterinarian and if you do not know, be aware of any symptoms of allergy to any of the drug’s excipients.
If your dog is hypovolemic, dehydrated or has low blood pressure, the vet will decide whether to administer this medication, as it can cause kidney toxicity. In addition, if your dog is taking any medication, you should also tell the vet in case the medication interferes with meloxicam.
Side Effects of Meloxicam for Dogs
This medicine can also sometimes cause side effects, so you should see your vet quickly if your dog shows these symptoms after taking meloxicam. However, some can only be detected by the veterinarian performing an analysis. These are the main side effects of meloxicam for dogs :
- Loss of appetite.
- Diarrhea.
- Occult blood in the stool.
- Diarrhea with blood.
- Renal insufficiency.
- Gastrointestinal ulcers.
- Elevation of liver enzymes.
