China Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (2): 622-630.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2026.02.010

• Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research Progress on the Clinical Application of Meloxicam in Dogs and Cats

HU Qi1,2(), TANG Xinggang2, YUAN Minggui2, BA Xiaomin2, TIAN Ya2, ZHANG Xiaoai3, YE Qianni2(), XIANG Rong2()   

  1. 1.College of Animal Science and Technology,Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering,Guangzhou 510300,China
    2.Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention,Institute of Animal Health,Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Guangzhou 510640,China
    3.Agro-Biological Gene Research Center,Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Guangzhou 510640,China
  • Received:2025-06-30 Online:2026-02-20 Published:2026-01-28
  • Contact: YE Qianni, XIANG Rong E-mail:1969145088@qq.com;yeqianni@gdaas.cn;23753842@qq.com

Abstract:

Meloxicam is a highly selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor and is a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in clinical practice. It exerts significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects by effectively inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins. Meanwhile, meloxicam has a relatively weak inhibitory activity against cyclooxygenase-1, which can significantly reduce the risk of adverse reactions in the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. These properties establish meloxicam as a safe and efficacious therapeutic cornerstone for pain and inflammation management in canine and feline practice. In recent years, with the continuous growth of pet healthcare demands, the clinical value of meloxicam continues to rise. The authors summarized the physicochemical properties and mechanism of action of meloxicam, then systematically compared the advantages and disadvantages of the commonly used formulations in clinical practice, and further discussed the potential of novel formulations such as oral semi-solid preparations and microneedle patches in improving administration convenience and animal compliance. Subsequently, a detailed analysis was conducted on the research progress of meloxicam’s application in areas such as joint diseases in dogs and cats, adjuvant treatment for tumors, pancreatic and intestinal protection and perioperative analgesia. Finally, the challenges and future research directions of current clinical application of meloxicam were analyzed. The aim of this review was to provide a scientific reference for the safe, rational, and efficient use of meloxicam in the clinical treatment of pet dogs and cats, while also offering new insights for its innovative development and translational research.

Key words: dogs; cats; meloxicam; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; pet medical care

CLC Number: