Contraindications
Do not use in pregnant or lactating animals.
Do not use in animals suffering from gastrointestinal disorders such as irritation and 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 animals less than 6 weeks of age.

Special precautions for use in animals
Avoid use in any dehydrated, hypovolaemic or hypotensive animal, as there is a potential risk of renal toxicity.
In case additional pain relief is required, multimodal pain therapy should be considered.
Response to long-term therapy should be monitored at regular intervals by a veterinary surgeon.

Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal product to animals
People with known hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should avoid contact with the veterinary medicinal product.
In case of accidental ingestion, seek medical advice immediately and show the package leaflet or the label to the physician.

Adverse reactions (frequency and seriousness)
Typical adverse reactions of NSAIDs such as loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, faecal occult blood, lethargy and renal failure have occasionally been reported. Gastrointestinal ulceration and elevated liver enzymes were reported in very rare cases.
These side effects are in most cases transient and disappear following termination of the treatment but in very rare cases may be serious or fatal.
If adverse reactions occur, treatment should be discontinued and the advice of a veterinarian should be sought.
The frequency of adverse reactions is defined using the following convention:
- very common (more than 1 in 10 animals treated displaying adverse reactions)
- common (more than 1 but less than 10 animals in 100 animals treated)
- uncommon (more than 1 but less than 10 animals in 1,000 animals treated)
- rare (more than 1 but less than 10 animals in 10,000 animals treated)
- very rare (less than 1 animal in 10,000 animals treated, including isolated reports).

Overdose (symptoms, emergency procedures, antidotes), if necessary
Meloxicam has a narrow therapeutic safety margin in cats and clinical signs of overdose may be seen at relatively small overdose levels.
In case of overdose, adverse reactions, as listed in section 4.6, are expected to be more severe and more frequent.
In case of overdose symptomatic treatment should be initiated.

Use during pregnancy, lactation or lay
The safety of the veterinary medicinal product has not been established during pregnancy and lactation (See section 4.3).

Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction
Other NSAIDs, diuretics, anticoagulants, aminoglycoside antibiotics and substances with high protein binding may compete for binding and thus lead to toxic effects. Metacam must not be administered in conjunction with other NSAIDs or glucocorticosteroids.
Pre-treatment with anti-inflammatory substances may result in additional or increased adverse effects and accordingly a treatment-free period with such drugs 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.

Pharmacodynamic properties
Meloxicam is a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) of the oxicam class which acts by inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, thereby exerting anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-exudative and antipyretic effects. It reduces leukocyte infiltration into the inflamed tissue. To a minor extent it also inhibits collagen-induced thrombocyte aggregation. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that meloxicam inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) to a greater extent than cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1).

Pharmacokinetic properties
Absorption
Meloxicam is completely absorbed following oral administration and maximal plasma concentrations are obtained after approximately 4.5 hours. When the product is used according to the recommended dosage regime, steady state concentrations of meloxicam in plasma are reached on the second day of treatment.
Distribution
There is a linear relationship between the dose administered and plasma concentration observed in the therapeutic dose range. Approximately 97% of meloxicam is bound to plasma proteins. The volume of distribution is 0.3 l/kg.
Metabolism
Meloxicam is predominantly found in plasma and is also a major biliary excretion product whereas urine contains only traces of the parent compound. Meloxicam is metabolised to an alcohol, an acid derivative and to several polar metabolites. All major metabolites have been shown to be pharmacologically inactive.
Elimination
Meloxicam is eliminated with a half-life of 24 hours. Approximately 75% of the administered dose is eliminated via faeces and the remainder via urine.