POM-V Prescription Required Companion Animal

Metacam 2mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cats

Active ingredient: Meloxicam

Form

Injection

Species

Cats

Manufacturer

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH

VMD MA No.

04491/5022

What it's used for

Amended pages: March 2025

Full indications, dosage and side effects ↓

View official SPC (PDF)

The prescription itself has a price. See what practices near you charge for a consultation and the written prescription fee.

Paying less for Meloxicam

1

Ask your vet for a written prescription

They must provide one on request. Under the CMA Order the fee is capped at £21 from 2027.
2

Fill it at a registered online retailer

The CMA found online pharmacies 50–60% cheaper than practice dispensing on common medicines — typically £200–£300 a year.

Your prescription rights → VMD register of retailers →

Prescription required

Your vet must provide a written prescription on request. You can then purchase from any licensed online retailer.

Clinical information

Metacam 2mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cats — SPC Details

Source: VMD Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Last updated 27 Mar 2026.

Amended pages: March 2025

anaesthesia.
To continue treatment for up to five days, this initial dose may be followed 24 hours
later by administration of Metacam 0.5 mg/ml oral suspension for cats at a dosage of
0.05 mg meloxicam/kg body weight. The oral follow-up dose may be administered for
up to a total of four doses at 24 hour intervals.

Amended pages: March 2025
Reduction of post-operative pain and inflammation where no oral follow-up treatment
is possible e.g. feral cats:
Single subcutaneous injection at a dosage of 0.3 mg meloxicam/kg body weight (i.e.
0.15 ml/kg body weight) before surgery, for example at the time of induction of
anaesthesia. In this case do not use oral follow up treatment.
Particular care should be taken with regard to the accuracy of dosing. To ensure a
correct dosage, body weight should be determined as accurately as possible. The
use of suitably calibrated measuring equipment is recommended.
Avoid introduction of contamination during use.

Do not use in cats suffering from gastrointestinal disorders such as irritation or
haemorrhage, impaired hepatic, cardiac or renal function and haemorrhagic
disorders.
Do not use in cases of hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the
excipients.
Do not use in cats less than 6 weeks of age nor in cats of less than 2 kg.

Cats:
Very rare
(< 1 animal in 10,000 animals
treated, including isolated reports).
Appetite loss
, lethargy
Vomiting
, diarrhoea
, blood in faeces
1,2
,
haemorrhagic diarrhoea
, haematemesis
,
gastric ulcer
, small intestinal ulcer
Elevated liver enzymes
Renal failure
Anaphylactoid reaction
Amended pages: March 2025
These adverse events occur generally within the first treatment week and are in
most cases transient and disappear following termination of the treatment but in
very rare cases may be serious or fatal.
Occult
Should be treated symptomatically.
If adverse reactions occur, treatment should be discontinued and the advice of a
veterinarian should be sought.
Reporting adverse events is important. It allows continuous safety monitoring of a
veterinary medicinal product. Reports should be sent, preferably via a veterinarian,
to either the marketing authorisation holder or its local representative or the national
competent authority via the national reporting system. See the package leaflet for
respective contact details.

None.

Special precautions for safe use in the target species:
Avoid use in any dehydrated, hypovolaemic or hypotensive cat, as there is a
potential risk of renal toxicity.
During anaesthesia, monitoring and fluid therapy should be considered as standard
practice.
In case additional pain relief is required, multimodal pain therapy should be
considered.
Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal
product to animals:
Accidental self-injection may give rise to pain. People with known hypersensitivity to
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should avoid contact with the
veterinary medicinal product.
In case of accidental self-injection, seek medical advice immediately and show the
package leaflet or the label to the physician.
This veterinary medicinal product can cause eye irritation. In case of contact with the
eyes, immediately rinse thoroughly with water.
Special precautions for the protection of the environment:
Not applicable.

Other NSAIDs, diuretics, anticoagulants, aminoglycoside antibiotics and substances
with high protein binding may compete for binding and thus lead to toxic effects. This
veterinary medicinal product must not be administered in conjunction with other
NSAIDs or glucocorticosteroids. Concurrent administration of potential nephrotoxic
veterinary medicinal products should be avoided. In animals at anaesthetic risk (e.g.
aged animals) intravenous or subcutaneous fluid therapy during anaesthesia should
be taken into consideration. When anaesthesia and NSAID are concomitantly
administered, a risk for renal function cannot be excluded.
Pre-treatment with anti-inflammatory substances may result in additional or
increased adverse effects and accordingly a treatment-free period with such
veterinary medicinal products should be observed for at least 24 hours before
commencement of treatment. The treatment-free period, however, should take into
account the pharmacological properties of the products used previously.

This veterinary medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.

Not applicable.

This information is sourced from the official Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) published by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). It is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice. Always consult your vet before administering any medication.