Meloxicam for Dogs UK: Brands, £ Prices & Written Prescriptions

Meloxicam is a POM-V medicine in the UK: you need a vet to examine your dog and prescribe it, but you do not have to buy the bottle from the practice. With a written prescription you can buy Metacam or a generic such as Loxicom from an online veterinary pharmacy. When we checked in October 2026, UK online vet pharmacy Joii Pet Care listed Metacam 1.5 mg/ml oral suspension for dogs at £16.99 for 100 ml and £30.25 for 180 ml (on pre-order), and Loxicom 1.5 mg/ml at £22.41 for 100 ml — so the generic is not always the cheaper bottle.

This guide is the practical, money-and-paperwork side of meloxicam for British owners: which brands and strengths you will meet, what a month of treatment really costs by bodyweight, how written prescriptions and online pharmacies work (including the new £21 cap on prescription fees), what insurance usually covers, and what is worth adding alongside. For how the drug works and the full side-effect picture, read our main meloxicam for dogs guide.

Our recommendation for UK owners: let your vet set the meloxicam dose, buy the bottle wherever the same product is cheapest, and spend part of the saving on the things that act on the joint every day — a lean bodyweight, non-slip floors and daily joint nutrition. Our top pick for that daily layer is Pure Majesty Pets Hip & Joint Chews: 17 active ingredients including green-lipped mussel and undenatured type II collagen (UC-II), £42 a tub, with free UK delivery and duties and VAT prepaid, so there is nothing extra to pay Royal Mail or the courier on delivery. It supports normal joint function alongside, never instead of, your vet's treatment.

The UK bottle trap: 0.5 and 1.5 mg/ml both exist — for dogs and for cats

This is the single most useful thing on this page. Meloxicam oral suspension is sold in Britain at two concentrations, and Metacam's 0.5 mg/ml comes in two different products: one for dogs and one for cats and guinea pigs. These are the meloxicam products listed for dogs (and the cat look-alikes) on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's Product Information Database, all POM-V: In a home with both species, check dog flea products in a home with cats before sharing a flea product between pets.

Two failure modes follow from that table. A strength mix-up: a volume worked out for a 0.5 mg/ml bottle, drawn instead from a 1.5 mg/ml bottle, delivers three times the intended dose. A species mix-up: a 0.5 mg/ml bottle on a kitchen shelf might be your dog's Metacam or the cat's. Before every repeat prescription — and especially when you switch from the practice to an online pharmacy, or from Metacam to a generic — read the strength and the species on the label and check both against what your vet wrote.

Generic substitution is common and entirely legitimate in Britain. The active substance is the same; what changes is the bottle in your hand, the syringe in the box and the graduations on that syringe. Never carry a dosing habit across from an old bottle to a new one: use the syringe supplied with the bottle you are holding, and ask your vet or the pharmacy to confirm the volume if anything looks different.

What meloxicam costs in the UK

There is no national price. Your practice sets its own dispensing price, and online pharmacies compete on the same products. Here is what we saw at UK online vet pharmacies (drug only, before any prescription fee):

Prices and stock change often, so treat these as a reference point rather than a promise, and compare like for like: same product, same strength, same volume.

What a month costs, by bodyweight

At the standard maintenance dose in the UK datasheet (0.1 mg per kg once daily), a 1.5 mg/ml suspension is used at about 0.067 ml per kg per day. That gives a rough guide to how long a bottle lasts — but your vet may prescribe a different dose, and the SPC asks vets to step down to the lowest effective dose over time, so your real figure may be lower.

*Based on the Joii Pet Care Metacam prices above; excludes the higher first-day dose, prescription fees, consultations and blood tests.

One catch for small dogs: the UK datasheet says an opened bottle should be used within 6 months. A 10 kg dog would take around nine months to finish a 180 ml bottle, so the "cheaper per ml" big bottle is false economy. Buy the size your dog will finish in six months, and take any leftovers to a take-back scheme at your practice or pharmacy rather than pouring them away.

How to buy meloxicam online in the UK, step by step

1. Get the examination. Meloxicam is POM-V, so a vet must have your dog under their care and assess it before prescribing. No legitimate UK pharmacy will sell it without that prescription.
2. Ask for a written prescription. Practices can charge for writing one. Under the Competition and Markets Authority's final decision on the vet market, that fee is being capped at £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for each additional medicine — large practice groups must apply the cap by March 2027 and smaller practices (under 15 sites) by September 2027. Ask how long the prescription is valid and how many repeats it covers.
3. Choose a pharmacy you can check. Online sellers of veterinary medicines are vetted under the VMD's Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme (AIRS). Look for it, and avoid marketplace sellers or overseas sites offering meloxicam "no prescription needed" — that is not legal supply in the UK.
4. Send the prescription the way they ask. Joii Pet Care asks you to upload it (PNG, JPG or PDF); Vets4u accepts it uploaded or by email. Some pharmacies need the original posted, so check before you order.
5. Check the bottle when it arrives. Strength, species, brand and expiry — then use the syringe in that box.
6. Keep your practice in the loop. Your vet still needs to see your dog for reviews and blood tests. Buying online changes where the bottle comes from, not who is responsible for the treatment.

From 2027, practices will also have to tell owners that medicines may be cheaper online (from June 2027 for large groups and September 2027 for smaller practices), and large groups must publish price lists by December 2026. If your dog is on meloxicam for life, those changes are worth a few pounds every month.

How the UK licence differs from the American one

Meloxicam is an oxicam-class NSAID that blocks prostaglandin production. The UK SPC states that it inhibits COX-2 to a greater extent than COX-1 — greater, not exclusively, which is why the stomach and kidney cautions apply regardless.

British owners often read American articles and come away with the wrong picture. In the US the drug is approved narrowly for osteoarthritis. In the UK the GB datasheet covers acute musculo-skeletal problems too — a soft-tissue strain, a post-injury flare — which is why your vet may prescribe a fortnight's course after a limping episode rather than a lifetime supply.

For longer-term treatment, once a response has been seen after four days or more, the SPC directs that the dose be adjusted to the lowest effective individual dose. That has a cost angle too: a dog stepped down to a lower maintenance dose uses less suspension each month. Ask at each review whether a step-down is possible.

Dosing figures above are reproduced from the UK SPC for owner understanding only. They are not instructions. Your vet sets your dog's dose.

When the prescribing cascade comes into it

Because meloxicam is authorised in the UK for dogs with musculo-skeletal pain, your vet will normally prescribe it straightforwardly on licence. The prescribing cascade matters when no authorised UK product suits the case. It then lets a vet reach, in order, for a UK product licensed for another species or condition, then a human medicine or one authorised abroad, and finally a specially prepared medicine. That is how gabapentin — a human medicine — ends up in many arthritic dogs' routines; our gabapentin for dogs UK guide explains it.

Three practical consequences for British owners:

• Prescriptions come from an RCVS-registered vet who has your dog under their care. Remote supply without a clinical assessment is not permitted.
• Your vet should explain when a medicine is being used under the cascade and ask for your consent — ask how it will be supplied and what it will cost.
• Tell your insurer about every prescription; it keeps claims straightforward.

Will pet insurance pay for meloxicam?

Usually, if the condition is covered. Most UK policies pay for prescribed medication as part of treatment costs, but there are three common catches:

• Pre-existing conditions. Arthritis or a joint problem noted before the policy started is typically excluded.
• Time-limited and per-condition policies. Arthritis is lifelong. A policy that stops paying after 12 months, or once a condition limit is reached, may leave you funding years of meloxicam yourself. Lifetime policies that reset each year suit long-term prescriptions better.
• Excess per claim. At £3–£14 a month for the drug itself, many owners find buying the bottle online with a written prescription costs less than claiming. Keep the receipts either way.

Read your policy wording before committing to a long-term plan, and keep copies of prescriptions and invoices — insurers ask for them.

Contraindications, interactions and side effects on the British datasheet

Do not use at all

The UK SPC lists absolute contraindications: gastrointestinal disorders such as irritation or haemorrhage; impaired liver, heart or kidney function; bleeding disorders; hypersensitivity to meloxicam or any ingredient; and dogs under six weeks. Safety in pregnancy and lactation has not been established, so it is not used in pregnant or lactating bitches. It should be avoided in any dehydrated, hypovolaemic or hypotensive animal because of the risk to the kidneys. Include changes in drinking and bathroom habits in the notes you take to your vet. If a bladder-support supplement is also on the list, compare bladder-support ingredients and product labels before adding another formula.

Never alongside another NSAID or a steroid

Meloxicam must not be given together with other NSAIDs or glucocorticosteroids. Other NSAIDs, diuretics, anticoagulants, aminoglycoside antibiotics and other highly protein-bound substances may compete for protein binding. Where a dog has already been on an anti-inflammatory, the datasheet requires a treatment-free period of at least 24 hours — and longer depending on the previous drug. Never bridge that gap with leftover tablets.

Side effects

The UK datasheet classifies every listed canine adverse event as very rare — fewer than 1 animal in 10,000 treated: appetite loss and lethargy; vomiting, diarrhoea, blood in faeces, haemorrhagic diarrhoea, vomiting blood, stomach and small-intestine ulcers; raised liver enzymes; and renal failure. They generally occur within the first week and are usually transient, resolving once treatment stops — but in very rare cases they can be serious or fatal. For a large-bowel example within digestive care, see colitis signs and care.

Ring your vet the same day for black, tarry or bloody faeces, coffee-ground vomit, repeated vomiting or two refused meals, pale or yellow gums, a marked change in drinking or urination, or a dog who simply is not himself. If your dog gets into the bottle, call your practice, an out-of-hours vet, or the Animal PoisonLine on 01202 509000 straight away. Suspected reactions can be reported to the VMD, usually via your vet. Our Metacam home-dosing and monitoring guide covers the first-week watch list in detail. For the pancreatic-disease question, pancreatitis signs, treatment and recovery explains how assessment, feeding and recovery fit together.

Tablets or suspension? A practical UK comparison

Britain has both. Metacam chewable tablets for dogs come as 1 mg and 2.5 mg, flavoured and taken voluntarily by most dogs, with or without food. A 1 mg tablet is the daily maintenance dose for a 10 kg dog; a 2.5 mg tablet suits a 25 kg dog. Tablets can be halved, and the GB datasheet's dose scheme runs from 4 kg upward:

The datasheet is clear about the limits: for more precise dosing, the suspension may be preferred, and for dogs under 4 kg the suspension is recommended. Tablets come in packs of 7, 84 or 252. From a buying point of view, the suspension lets your vet fine-tune the dose (and step it down) in small increments, while tablets are tidy for dogs who wolf a treat but turn their nose up at liquid on their food. Whichever you choose, compare the cost per day for your dog's actual dose, not the sticker price.

What to add alongside — and what it costs in the UK

Nothing below replaces meloxicam or justifies changing a prescription. But weight and conditioning sit outside the bottle, and they are where owners have real leverage.

Weight loss is the strongest non-drug lever there is. A 2010 study in Veterinary Research Communications (PMID 20237844) placed 14 obese client-owned dogs with osteoarthritis on a calorie-restricted diet for 16 weeks and recorded a significant decrease in lameness from about 6.1% bodyweight loss onward. Royal Veterinary College VetCompass data on 455,557 UK dogs found above-average bodyweight carried 2.3 times the odds of osteoarthritis. A lean dog may also need a lower dose — which is cheaper as well as safer. For the wider care plan as a dog ages, the senior-dog immune-support checklist helps you review nutrition, existing supplements and veterinary follow-up together.

On supplements, be choosy. A 2022 meta-analysis in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (PMID 36142319), covering 72 trials in canine and feline osteoarthritis, found clear pain-relieving efficacy for omega-3 diets and supplements, weak efficacy for collagen, and a "very marked non-effect" for chondroitin–glucosamine products. PDSA puts it simply: joint supplements help some dogs but not all, and they are not a replacement for medication. With that in mind, here is what UK owners are comparing: Before adding another bottle to the routine, whether a dog needs collagen walks through the collagen decision.

Why our chews top the list for a dog already on meloxicam: they don't rest on glucosamine alone. Green-lipped mussel and undenatured type II collagen sit alongside it, and UC-II has its own dog data — in a 2019 trial of 60 client-owned dogs with osteoarthritis (PMID 31487772), UC-II gave similar improvement scores to the NSAID robenacoxib over 30 days. That is a small study and not a reason to stop meloxicam, but it is why UC-II is in the formula. Dogs who refuse chews can have our Liquid Collagen for Dogs poured over food, and owners whose vet has suggested glucosamine can use our Liquid Glucosamine (glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM, £25). For omega-3 at a meaningful dose, ask your vet about fish oil or a prescription joint diet. Every Pure Majesty Pets batch is made in North America under GMP with a certificate of analysis. For the collagen-selection question, the collagen comparison by type and dose explains how to compare collagen type, measured serving and ingredient overlap. Comparing collagen with another joint ingredient? The glucosamine buying guide shows how to compare glucosamine forms, measured amounts and combination products.

Our chews' label asks you to check with your vet before combining them with medication, so show your vet the ingredient list (it includes turmeric, boswellia and ginger) and get it noted on your dog's record. For a fuller comparison, see our best joint supplements for dogs UK guide.

Where meloxicam sits among the UK alternatives

On meloxicam versus carprofen specifically, the head-to-head comparison has barely been done. A 2003 study in the Veterinary Record using force-plate gait analysis in 71 dogs (PMID 12665145) found that both drugs improved ground reaction forces while a nutraceutical did not. Choosing between NSAIDs is a question of how an individual dog responds and tolerates, not a league table — and on cost, meloxicam suspension is hard to beat for small and medium dogs.

Frequently asked questions

Is meloxicam prescription-only in the UK?

Yes. Metacam and its UK generics are POM-V, so they may only be supplied on the prescription of a vet who has your dog under their care following a clinical assessment. You can ask for a written prescription and have it dispensed by an online veterinary pharmacy.

Where can I buy meloxicam for dogs in the UK?

From your vet practice, or with a written prescription from an online veterinary pharmacy such as Joii Pet Care, VetUK or Vets4u. Check the seller is part of the VMD's Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme, and never buy meloxicam from a site that does not ask for a prescription.

How much does Metacam cost in the UK?

Prices vary by practice and pharmacy. In October 2026 Joii Pet Care listed Metacam 1.5 mg/ml for dogs at £16.99 for 100 ml and £30.25 for 180 ml (pre-order), and Loxicom 1.5 mg/ml at £22.41 for 100 ml. For a 25 kg dog at the standard maintenance dose, that works out at roughly £8 a month for the drug alone.

How much can my vet charge for a written prescription?

Under the CMA's vet-market remedies, the fee is being capped at £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for each additional medicine on the same prescription. Large practice groups must apply the cap by March 2027 and smaller practices by September 2027.

Can I use the 0.5 mg/ml Metacam on my dog?

Only if it is the dog product. In the UK there is a Metacam 0.5 mg/ml Oral Suspension for Dogs and a separate Metacam 0.5 mg/ml Oral Suspension for Cats and Guinea Pigs. Read the species on the label, not just the number, and never use another animal's medicine. For the odour-specific question, read causes of dog bad breath.

How much Metacam should I give my dog in millilitres?

Only the volume your vet specified, measured with the syringe supplied in that box. The UK SPC dose is 0.2 mg/kg on day one and 0.1 mg/kg daily afterwards, but the millilitre figure depends entirely on whether you hold a 0.5 mg/ml or a 1.5 mg/ml bottle — a three-fold difference. Check the strength on the label against your prescription every time, especially after a brand switch. If odour, greasy skin or repeated irritation is also present, review the signs and next steps for dog yeast infections so that a possible yeast problem is assessed separately.

Can my dog have meloxicam and prednisolone together?

No. The UK SPC states that meloxicam must not be given with other NSAIDs or glucocorticosteroids. After a previous anti-inflammatory, a treatment-free period of at least 24 hours is required, and longer depending on the drug. Your vet decides that interval.

Will pet insurance cover my dog's meloxicam?

Usually, if the underlying condition is covered. Arthritis diagnosed before the policy started is generally excluded as pre-existing, and time-limited or per-condition limits can run out on a long-term prescription. Check your policy wording, and compare the claim excess with the cost of buying the bottle online.

Veterinary disclaimer. This article is educational and is not veterinary advice. In the United Kingdom meloxicam is a POM-V medicine authorised and regulated by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate; dosing, monitoring and any change to treatment must be directed by an RCVS-registered vet who has examined your dog. Dosing figures are reproduced from the UK Summary of Product Characteristics for reference and are not instructions. Prices were checked in October 2026 and change often. Pure Majesty Pets products are complementary feeds, not medicines; they support normal joint function and are not a substitute for prescribed treatment — never reduce or stop a prescription because you have started a supplement, and talk to your vet before starting any supplement. Metacam is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim; Loxicom, Meloxyl, Rimadyl, Galliprant, Librela, YuMOVE, Antinol, Synoquin and Joint Aid are trademarks of their respective owners. Pure Majesty Pets is not affiliated with any of them.

Sources

• VMD Product Information Database: SPC, Metacam 1.5 mg/ml Oral Suspension for Dogs (Vm 61700/5055, revised April 2026); SPC, Metacam 2.5 mg Chewable Tablets for Dogs (Vm 61700/5039); product listings for Metacam 0.5 mg/ml (dogs; cats and guinea pigs) and Meloxyl
• VMD guidance: the cascade; Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme
• Competition and Markets Authority, final decision on the veterinary services market (2026): prescription fee cap and price-list deadlines
• Retail prices checked October 2026: Joii Pet Care, VetUK, Vets4u, Zooplus UK
• Anderson KL, O'Neill DG et al. Sci Rep 2018;8:5641 (RVC VetCompass)
• Moreau M et al. Vet Rec 2003 (PMID 12665145); Marshall WG et al. Vet Res Commun 2010 (PMID 20237844); Barbeau-Grégoire M et al. Int J Mol Sci 2022 (PMID 36142319); Stabile M et al. Vet Sci 2019 (PMID 31487772)
• PDSA Pet Health Hub: joint supplements for dogs