Dog Metacam Dosage Calculator

Check the prescription. Confirm the strength. Measure precisely.

Veterinary Medication Safety

Prescription arithmetic and information only · Veterinary supervision required

This tool provides calculations and general information only. It does not prescribe, select a dose, authorize treatment or confirm that a medicine is safe for an individual animal. Product labels and authorizations vary by country.

VETERINARY SUPERVISION REQUIRED

Use only the exact drug, dose, schedule, route and product concentration confirmed by your veterinarian. Do not start, stop, substitute or change medication based on this calculator.

For a suspected overdose, adverse reaction or accidental ingestion, contact a veterinarian immediately. Do not wait for a calculation or attempt home treatment.

Prescription calculator · Dog products · Product and country instructions vary

Prescription & Product

Dog weight

Your dog’s current body weight.

Prescribed phase0.10 mg/kg every 24 hours · follow your veterinarian.

Product label referenceNot a country selector for your prescription; verify your local product.

Concentration

Bottle remaining volume

Remaining liquid, not the original bottle size. Optional.

Tablet strength

Prescribed tablet countWhole or half tablets only. No automatic rounding or tablet substitution.

UK maintenance tablet chart

Product-specific label bands, not a universal mg/kg rounding rule. The main calculation uses the tablet count actually prescribed.

Weight (kg)	1 mg	2.5 mg
4.0–7.0	½	—
7.1–10.0	1	—
10.1–15.0	1½	—
15.1–20.0	2	—
20.1–25.0	—	1
25.1–35.0	—	1½
35.1–50.0	—	2

For dogs under 4 kg the UK tablet leaflet recommends the dog oral suspension. Ask your vet for a suitable formulation; do not interpolate the chart.

I checked the prescribed phase and exact product strength with my veterinarian’s instructions.

Already received meloxicam today or an initial injection?

Confirm timing with your veterinarian; do not repeat the loading dose.

Recent doses, interactions & symptoms

A recent dose or injection makes the next-dose timing uncertain. Another NSAID/steroid, dehydration, kidney/liver/heart disease, bleeding, pregnancy, very young age or a previous NSAID reaction needs review. Vomiting, black/bloody stools, poor appetite, unusual lethargy or another suspected adverse effect.

This is not a complete medical screening. No selections do not mean that treatment is safe. Your veterinarian must assess suitability.

Illustrative artwork; packaging varies. Read the actual product label.

Calculated Dose & Measuring Guide

WORKED EXAMPLE · NOT A PRESCRIPTION2.00 mg1.33 mL per administrationExample shown · prescription not confirmed.

20 kgBody weight

0.10 mg/kgSelected phase

1.5 mg/mLBottle strength

Measured volume (oral syringe)

Illustrative mL syringe — use the device and rounding instructed by your veterinarian.

Your measuring device matters

Product-specific kg/lb scales are calibrated for a particular concentration and dose. Do not swap syringes or read kg as mL.

No generic drop count or weight-marked syringe setting is calculated.

Bottle planning

Inventory estimate only; not a treatment duration or storage guarantee.

Important NSAID precautions

Do not combine with another NSAID or corticosteroid without veterinary direction; switching needs an individualized washout plan.
Suspected adverse effects: stop meloxicam and contact your veterinarian promptly. Severe symptoms need emergency care.
Kidney, liver, heart, dehydration, bleeding, pregnancy and age concerns require product-specific veterinary review.

Never use this dog calculation for a cat.

Feline authorization and risks differ by country. Repeated use in cats carries an FDA warning for acute kidney failure and death.

Loading vs Maintenance

First day only (loading dose)

0.20 mg/kg once · only when prescribed

4.00 mg | 2.67 mL

Following days (maintenance)

0.10 mg/kg every 24 hours · oral reference

2.00 mg | 1.33 mL

Worked example at 20 kg and 1.5 mg/mL. Prior injectable treatment changes the schedule; do not repeat an initial dose. These are label references, not a personal prescription.

Measuring & dosing notes

Use the exact product and concentration on your prescription. Shake oral suspension as its label instructs.
Use a suitable calibrated oral device. Small volumes need special attention; displayed rounding is not a measuring instruction.
US 1.5 mg/mL supplied syringes are not for dogs under 5 lb; US 0.5 mg/mL supplied syringes are not for dogs under 2 lb. Follow that specific product’s instructions.
Stock arithmetic does not set the course length. Follow the prescription, printed expiry and after-opening instructions.
Do not change, repeat, stop and restart, or double a dose without veterinary advice.

Equations & precision

Dose (mg) = weight (kg) × prescribed rate (mg/kg). Volume (mL) = dose ÷ concentration (mg/mL). Tablet amount (mg) = prescribed tablet count × tablet strength. Inventory uses unrounded volume and counts complete doses only.

For a first-day oral plan, one prescribed initial dose is reserved before counting subsequent label-reference maintenance doses. Waste, spillage, bottle residual, expiry and changes in prescription are not modeled.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a kg-marked syringe?

Only with the exact product and instructions it was supplied for. These are calibrated to a particular dose and concentration. A kg/lb mark is not an mL mark; this tool does not generate a substitute setting.

Is 0.5 mg/mL always for cats?

No. Dog oral products at 0.5 mg/mL also exist. Species, concentration, formulation and country label must all be checked; do not substitute a cat product based on concentration alone.

What if a dose was missed?

Ask your veterinarian when to give the next dose. Do not double a dose or restart with a loading dose on your own.

Why can a tablet label differ from exact mg/kg arithmetic?

Some product labels use weight bands and half-tablet dosing. Their actual mg/kg can vary within a band. The tablet mode checks the prescribed count rather than automatically rounding an exact-dose calculation.

Sources & Product Labels

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)NSAID safety and owner information.

Boehringer IngelheimMetacam product range and prescribing information.

Veterinary
Medicines
DirectorateUK Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)UK Metacam product information.

Direct labels: UK oral 1.5 mg/mL · UK tablets · UK injection · US oral 1.5 mg/mL · US oral 0.5 mg/mL. Product-specific references, not endorsements. No regulatory certification or veterinary review of this calculator is claimed.

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