About the Metacam Dosage Calculator for Dogs
Metacam is the Boehringer Ingelheim brand name for meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used in dogs to control the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis and post-operative recovery. Like almost every veterinary drug, meloxicam is dosed by body weight in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), so an accurate, current weight is the single most important input. This calculator turns your dog's weight into both the milligram dose and the millilitre volume of oral suspension to draw up.
The dosing formula
The labelled canine oral protocol has two phases:
- Day 1 — loading dose: 0.2 mg/kg × body weight (kg), given once.
- Day 2 onward — maintenance dose: 0.1 mg/kg × body weight (kg), given once daily.
To convert milligrams to millilitres of liquid, divide the dose by the product concentration. Metacam oral suspension for dogs is 1.5 mg/mL:
Volume (mL) = dose (mg) ÷ 1.5 mg/mL
A convenient consequence is that the maintenance dose comes out to exactly 1 mL per 15 kg of body weight, which is why the syringe supplied with the bottle is printed in kilograms rather than millilitres.
Why the loading dose is doubled
The first-day dose is twice the maintenance dose to reach a therapeutic blood level quickly. Meloxicam has a long half-life in dogs (roughly 12–24 hours), so after the loading dose the once-daily 0.1 mg/kg maintenance dose is enough to keep the drug in the effective range without accumulating to toxic levels.
Common reference doses (1.5 mg/mL suspension)
- 5 kg (11 lb): day 1 = 1.0 mg (0.67 mL); maintenance = 0.5 mg (0.33 mL).
- 10 kg (22 lb): day 1 = 2.0 mg (1.33 mL); maintenance = 1.0 mg (0.67 mL).
- 15 kg (33 lb): day 1 = 3.0 mg (2.0 mL); maintenance = 1.5 mg (1.0 mL).
- 30 kg (66 lb): day 1 = 6.0 mg (4.0 mL); maintenance = 3.0 mg (2.0 mL).
Safe use
Meloxicam is a prescription medicine. Give it with or after food, use the smallest effective dose, and never combine it with another NSAID (such as carprofen, aspirin, or firocoxib) or with corticosteroids. It should not be used in dehydrated dogs or those with kidney, liver, or gastrointestinal disease, and the dog-strength product must never be given to a cat. Watch for vomiting, dark or bloody stool, loss of appetite, or lethargy, and stop the drug and call your vet if any appear.