Meloxicam vs. Tramadol Comparison

Meloxicam

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Tramadol

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Reduces Pain and Inflammation associated with Arthritis?

Reduces Fever?

Reduces Joint Stiffness?

Controls Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Additional Benefits

Generic equilavent to MetaCam

Post surgery Pain Reliever

What Makes it Different?

Comes in tablet form rather than oral suspension

Recommended For?

Dogs

Dogs & Cats

Product Type

Tablet

Usage

RX Required

How Long does it Take to Work?

Within Hours of Dose

Video

Ingredients

Meloxicam

Tramadol HCl

Does it have long-term side effects?

Repeated dose studies showed characteristic changes reported with other NSAIDs (gastrointestinal ulceration and erosion). Long term studies showed renal papillary necrosis.

No known

Cautions

Contact the veterinarian if the pet has bloody, black or tarry stools, blood in vomit, or swelling or rapid weight gain due to fluid retention. Do not us on cats.

Tell your veterinarian if you give any medicines to your pet, as there are some potential adverse interactions.

What are Customers saying Pros

My 10-year-old Maltese ruptured a disk five years ago and has been unable to walk well and generally never felt well. She pretty much just sat in my lap and slept all the time.

This is a wonderful medication for our Lab, it keeps him pain free & helps him get up & down much easier.

What are Customers saying Cons

N/A

..Yes, it has helped the pain BUT he is really drowsy.

Vet Recommendations

Meloxicam is another excellent and effective prescription nonsteroidal anti inflammatory medication that has been around for several years. It is especially helpful in that middle size to larger dogs, and comes in an easy to administer tablet. With regular use, this product can help reduce pain, inflammation and stiffness. It is important to have blood work done before using this product, as well as periodically if used long term to monitor for toxic reactions. The most common side effects seen in sensitive pets are vomiting and/or diarrhea, and in rarer exceptions liver or kidney complications may occur; thus the importance of the blood work. I give this product an overall ranking of 4 out of 5.

Tramadol product review: One of the biggest growing areas in veterinary medicine in recent years has been the increased awareness and treatment of both acute and chronic pain in dogs and cats. Even many veterinary state practice acts now consider pain management a routine component of most surgical procedures in dogs and cast. As with many conditions in veterinary medicine, many of the drugs we often use for chronic pain are actually based on their use in human medicine for similar conditions. That is how we started using tramadol for helping relieve acute and chronic pain in dogs and cats. While many of the other commonly prescribed pain medications of the nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug class are quite expensive, tramadol is one of the most economic drugs on the market, and it truly has been a godsend to many veterinarians in helping manage both acute and chronic pain for a variety of medical conditions from chronic arthritis and spinal problems, to acute issues like post operative pain management and even acute pancreatitis, urinary inflammation and other acute painful conditions in our dogs and cats. This drug is also typically very safe to use when giving other medications or supplements for pain such as the nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs, cortisone and nutritional joint supplements. The only occasional side effects I have seen are some wobbliness/sedation seen in some sensitive pets, occasional constipation or digestive upset, and it should not be used in those pets with current or historical liver inflammation issues. However most vets, including myself, have found this prescription drug quite effective for pain management either as a primary drug or add on. The single size of 50 mg non-scored tablets can be an occasional problem when dosing smaller animals, but with the development of compounding tablets into liquids, this obstacle can often be overcome. I give Tramadol an overall rating of a 5 with an ease of use a 5 as well.

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