Revista de salud animal y ciencias del comportamiento

Inappropriate Post-Operative Analgesia is Achieved Using Recommended Doses of Sustained-Release Meloxicam in Mice

Abstract

Herrod JA, Doane CJ, Veltri CA and Mexas AM

Meloxicam is an analgesic NSAID commonly used in mice. Anecdotal evidence supports the use of alternative delivery methods for analgesics including injectable sustained release (SR) formulations as ways to achieve long-term analgesia with less frequent handling; potentially minimizing pain and distress. However, objective data regarding efficacy of these alternative approaches is lacking in the literature. We conducted a pilot study evaluating the efficacy and blood levels of Meloxicam-SR administration in a surgical model (osmotic pump placement), using the manufacturer’s recommended dosing of 4 mg/kg per 72 h. Mice exhibited signs of pain and plasma drug levels were undetectable 4 h after dosing. Meloxicam-SR failed to deliver adequate pain control at the currently recommended dosing; suggesting further studies are needed to determine effective dosing for mice.