Meloxicam Questions

[ramonaghan]

Sweep tweaked something running in the yard a few days ago and now is limping upon rising, just like she was at the end of August. Argh. At least this time we know what triggered it (she yelped when it happened) and have the reassurance of clear x-rays behind us. The vet would like us to try Meloxicam again. Sweep got three doses in early September before she developed diarrhea and vomiting, but this also coincided with our vacation when she was staying at my sister's house. The vet thinks it's just as likely that she had that reaction from the stress of a new environment as from the meds, and since I work from home and can monitor her I'm willing to try again. A couple of questions: Does it matter whether I give it nights or mornings? It's easier to give her Pepcid beforehand in the evenings because she is used to getting breakfast first thing. But obviously if she reacts poorly, diarrhea's easier to deal with during the day than at 2 a.m.; if it's going to happen would it be more likely to happen within a few hours of taking it? Also, I have read a few threads where people give less than the prescribed half-tab. Should I try that? We saw improvement in her limping last time after the first dose, and we had a great limp-free month before she decided to have zoomies on wet grass. Thanks!

Edited October 5, 2015 by ramonaghan

[tbhounds]

Few questions for you ;-). Are you giving the human tablet or the liquid veterinary formula? Also, have you tried giving a different NSAID? Sometimes dogs will react to one but, be perfectly fine with another.

[Guest MnMDogs]

How much does Sweep weigh? Mork was ~75 pounds, and he got 7.5 mg at night for the last 18 months or so of his life. We also gave Pepcid morning and night even though he only got the meloxicam at night (I think someone on here recommended that, Batmon, maybe).

 

That said, I'd be leary giving it again given the last course. I don't know if I'd attribute diarrhea and vomiting to stress when an NSAID is being given, but that's just my opinion. I should add Mork never had any adverse reaction to it that I can recall.

[tbhounds]

How much does Sweep weigh? Mork was ~75 pounds, and he got 7.5 mg at night for the last 18 months or so of his life. We also gave Pepcid morning and night even though he only got the meloxicam at night (I think someone on here recommended that, Batmon, maybe).

That said, I'd be leary giving it again given the last course. I don't know if I'd attribute diarrhea and vomiting to stress when an NSAID is being given, but that's just my opinion. I should add Mork never had any adverse reaction to it that I can recall.

Sorry bit of a hack---you meant to say you gave a HALF of a 7.5mg tablet daily right? Dogs should only get 0.1mg/kg daily

[ramonaghan]

Few questions for you ;-). Are you giving the human tablet or the liquid veterinary formula? Also, have you tried giving a different NSAID? Sometimes dogs will react to one but, be perfectly fine with another.

 

Human tablet. She had Rimadyl last year for a similar issue and had no problems. I did mention that to the vet, but he says Meloxicam is generally so well tolerated that he wants to find out for certain if that was the cause. (ETA: This is Grassmere, so they do see a lot of greys.)

 

How much does Sweep weigh? Mork was ~75 pounds, and he got 7.5 mg at night for the last 18 months or so of his life. We also gave Pepcid morning and night even though he only got the meloxicam at night (I think someone on here recommended that, Batmon, maybe).

 

That said, I'd be leary giving it again given the last course. I don't know if I'd attribute diarrhea and vomiting to stress when an NSAID is being given, but that's just my opinion. I should add Mork never had any adverse reaction to it that I can recall.

 

She weighs about 68. I am nervous about trying it again but do see the value of knowing for certain. Plus, Sweep has a very quiet, routine life here, and we're total homebodies. My sister works outside the home, has two kids (9 and 11), and just generally has a noisier, less-structured life, so it is a *very* different environment. Sweep had stayed there once before, but they were home all day with her then and it was two years ago.

Edited October 5, 2015 by ramonaghan

[Guest MnMDogs]

Sorry bit of a hack---you meant to say you gave a HALF of a 7.5mg tablet daily right? Dogs should only get 0.1mg/kg daily

Whatever dose wouldn't kill him . It was half of the dose fit for a grown man, which I thought was 15 mg, but it must have been half of the 7.5 mg. you'd think giving it daily for so long I'd remember!

[tbhounds]

To be honest-I'm not a huge fan of the human tabs as it very hard to give an accurate dose. At her current weight she should only get 3mgs daily. However, I can't argue with your vets blessing. I would give Pepcid a half hour prior and give it with a full meal. If v/d are seen again you may need to return to rimadyl.

[Hubcitypam]

Kenny Roo Who the grey/GSD mix took 1/2 of a 7.5 tablet for several years with no ill effects (but then again he was a mix). At the time they cost .07 a pill in Mexico. They've probably gone up to .09 a pill by now.

[ramonaghan]

To be honest-I'm not a huge fan of the human tabs as it very hard to give an accurate dose. At her current weight she should only get 3mgs daily. However, I can't argue with your vets blessing. I would give Pepcid a half hour prior and give it with a full meal. If v/d are seen again you may need to return to rimadyl.

 

Okay, thank you--going to shave off a bit of the half tab and go for it. She's already had her Pepcid and dinner, so wish us luck.

[kudzu]

Meloxicam has one of the lowest GI safety margins of all the common NSAIDs used for dogs. While I do sometimes split human meloxicam doses for my dogs, I do it with great caution. A 65 lb Greyhound getting 1/4-1/3 of a pill. Have never gone as much as 1/2. Our vet prescribes caprophen (Rimady) at a very reasonable price. If I say I have meloxicam he says that's fine, but usually I happily accept the caprophen. Dogs do well on it with less dosing worries. If one of my dogs got GI illness from uncertain cause while using meloxicam, I think I'd want try something else the next time.

[ramonaghan]

Meloxicam has one of the lowest GI safety margins of all the common NSAIDs used for dogs. While I do sometimes split human meloxicam doses for my dogs, I do it with great caution. A 65 lb Greyhound getting 1/4-1/3 of a pill. Have never gone as much as 1/2. Our vet prescribes caprophen (Rimady) at a very reasonable price. If I say I have meloxicam he says that's fine, but usually I happily accept the caprophen. Dogs do well on it with less dosing worries. If one of my dogs got GI illness from uncertain cause while using meloxicam, I think I'd want try something else the next time.

 

She got less than 1/2--probably closer to 1/3--tonight. Assuming she does well, we'll stick with that. Two vets at the practice have said they lean toward stress (the one my sister spoke with when she took Sweep in, and the one I spoke with today) so I decided to defer to them. Either way, I'll get an answer: 1) she can't have meloxicam, or 2) we need to make different vacation arrangements in the future.

Is metacam much more expensive? Just curious why meloxicam is so commonly prescribed if the dosing is that hard to get right.

[greysmom]

The liquid is much easier to adjust for the dog's weight than the tablet. My Toni has been getting the 1/2 a 7.5 pill for several years now with no trouble, but she weighs exactly the right amount for that dosage. The liquid is more expensive, as I recall.

[DocsDoctor]

It is not just that the liquid veterinary form is easier to measure out - according to my old vet it is also more easily absorbed into their systems, and 'gentler on their organs' as my old vet put it, i.e. less likely to damage liver, kidneys etc. So in your shoes I would be switching to that - especially as she has reacted badly to the tablets before.

[JohnF]

The liquid version is indeed MUCH more accurate to dose and is fine as long as your dog will eat up all their dinner. I used it for 9 years on one of my dogs and was able to regulate it intelligently depending upon whether the condition was mildly chronic or in a acute phase. She died at 14 of kidney failure... one of the problems with it long-term.

I would give a 75mg human Zantac (Ranitidine) tablet for the acid relief. Pepsid (famotidine) works quicker but doesn't absorb so thoroughly.

[kudzu]

 

She got less than 1/2--probably closer to 1/3--tonight. Assuming she does well, we'll stick with that. Two vets at the practice have said they lean toward stress (the one my sister spoke with when she took Sweep in, and the one I spoke with today) so I decided to defer to them. Either way, I'll get an answer: 1) she can't have meloxicam, or 2) we need to make different vacation arrangements in the future.

Is metacam much more expensive? Just curious why meloxicam is so commonly prescribed if the dosing is that hard to get right.

 

The human meloxican, 7.5 mg pills, is definitely cheaper & 1/3 is an appropriate dose for 65 lb Grey. I just err on the side of caution. My current pack ranges from 50-60 lbs. Dosing with meloxicam pills becomes trickier with these smaller dogs.