SUMMARY OF PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

1. NAME OF THE VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCT

Animeloxan 1.5 mg/ml oral suspension for dogs

2. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION

Each ml of suspension contains:

Active substance:

Meloxicam 1.5 mg (equivalent to 0.05 mg per drop)

Excipient:

Sodium benzoate 1.5 mg (equivalent to 0.05 mg per drop)

For a full list of excipients, see section 6.1.

3. PHARMACEUTICAL FORM

Oral suspension

The product is a pale yellow viscous suspension.

4. CLINICAL PARTICULARS

4.1 Target species

Dog

4.2 Indications for use, specifying the target species

Alleviation of inflammation and pain in both acute and chronic musculo-skeletal disorders.

4.3 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 case of hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients.

Do not use in dogs less than 6 weeks of age.

4.4 Special warnings for each target species

None

4.5 Special precautions for use

(i) Special precautions for use in animals

If adverse reactions occur, treatment should be discontinued and the advice of a veterinarian should be sought.

Avoid use in any dehydrated, hypovolaemic or hypotensive animal, as there is a potential risk of increased renal toxicity.

In case of prolonged use, monitoring during treatment should be carried out.

(ii) Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal product to animals

People with known hypersensitivity to 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.

4.6 Adverse reactions (frequency and seriousness)

Typical adverse drug reactions of NSAIDs such as loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, faecal occult blood and apathy have occasionally been reported. These side effects occur generally within the first treatment week and are in most cases transient and disappear following termination of the treatment but in very rare cases may be serious or fatal.

4.7 Use during pregnancy, lactation or lay

The safety of the veterinary medicinal product has not been established during pregnancy or lactation.

Pregnancy:

Do not use during pregnancy

Lactation:

Do not use for nursing bitches

4.8 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. Meloxicam 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 pharmacokinetic properties of the products used previously.

Meloxicam may antagonise the antihypertensive effects of ACE inhibitors.

4.9 Amounts to be administered and administration route

Shake well before use.

To be administered mixed with food.

Initial treatment is a single dose of 0.2 mg meloxicam/kg body weight on the first day. Treatment is to be continued once daily by oral administration (at 24-hour intervals) at a maintenance dose of 0.1 mg meloxicam/kg body weight.

Particular care should be taken with regard to the accuracy of dosing.

The suspension can be given using either the drop dispenser (for very small breeds) or the measuring syringe provided in the package. The dispenser provides 0.05 mg meloxicam per drop (i.e. a dose of 0.1 mg meloxicam/kg body weight corresponds to 2 drops/kg body weight). The syringe fits onto the bottle and has a kg-body weight scale which corresponds to the maintenance dose (i.e. 0.1 mg meloxicam/kg body weight). Thus for the first day, twice the maintenance volume will be required.

Shake bottle well. Push down and unscrew bottle top. Attach the dosing syringe to the bottle by gently pushing the end onto the top of the bottle.	Turn the bottle/syringe upside down. Pull the plunger out until the black line on the plunger corresponds to your dog’s bodyweight in kilograms	Turn the bottle right way up and with a twisting movement separate the dosing syringe from the bottle	Empty the contents of the syringe onto the food by pushing the plunger in.

A clinical response is normally seen within 3 - 4 days. Treatment should be discontinued after 10 days at the latest if no clinical improvement is apparent.

For longer term treatment, once clinical response has been observed (after ≥ 4 days), the dose of the veterinary medicinal product can be adjusted to the lowest effective individual dose reflecting that the degree of pain and inflammation associated with chronic musculo-skeletal disorders may vary over time.

Avoid introduction of contamination during use.

4.10 Overdose (symptoms, emergency procedures, antidotes), if necessary

In the case of overdosage symptomatic treatment should be initiated. Please refer to Section 4.6 (Adverse reactions) for details of symptoms.

4.11 Withdrawal period

Not applicable.

5. PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Pharmacotherapeutic group: Antiinflammatory and antirheumatic products, non-steroids (oxicams)

ATCvet code: QM01AC06

5.1 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).

5.2 Pharmacokinetic particulars

Absorption

Meloxicam is completely absorbed following oral administration and maximal plasma concentrations are obtained after approximately 7.5 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.

6. PHARMACEUTICAL PARTICULARS

6.1 List of excipients

Sodium benzoate

Dispersible Cellulose

Sodium carmellose

Glycerol

Sorbitol, Liquid (non-crystallising)

Xylitol

Sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate

Saccharin Sodium

Honey Flavour IFF RS 8008

Citric acid monohydrate

Purified Water

6.2 Incompatibilities

In the absence of compatibility studies, this veterinary medicinal product must not be mixed with other veterinary medicinal products.

6.3 Shelf life

Shelf-life of the veterinary medicinal product as packaged for sale: 3 years

Shelf-life after first opening the immediate packaging: 6 months

6.4. Special precautions for storage

Do not store above 30ºC.

6.5 Nature and composition of immediate packaging

High density polyethylene bottle with polypropylene inner cap, nozzle and outer cap.

Measuring device: Polypropylene syringe

Pack size(s): Bottles of 10 ml, 32 ml and 100 ml

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

6.6 Special precautions for the disposal of unused veterinary medicinal product or waste materials derived from the use of such products

Any unused veterinary medicinal product or waste materials derived from such veterinary medicinal products should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.

7. MARKETING AUTHORISATION HOLDER

aniMedica GmbH

Im Südfeld 9

48308 Senden-Bösensell

Germany

8. MARKETING AUTHORISATION NUMBER

Vm: 24745/4001

9. DATE OF FIRST AUTHORISATION

Date:15 August 2008

10 DATE OF REVISION OF THE TEXT

Date: September 2014

PROHIBITION OF SALE, SUPPLY AND/OR USE

Not applicable

17 September 2014