General Anesthesia in Guinea Pigs
Pocket Pet · Cavia porcellus · typical adult weight 0.70–1.20 kg
4 cited drugs treat General Anesthesia in guinea pigs: Alfaxalone, Alfaxalone Injectable, Ketamine, Propofol Injectable.
Induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia. Injectable induction with ketamine, propofol, alfaxalone, or etomidate; inhalational maintenance with isoflurane or sevoflurane. Species-specific airway anatomy and thermoregulation drive plan choice.
The overview above describes General Anesthesia across species; the citations below are the ExoticRx dose rules scoped to guinea pigs — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.
Alfaxalone(Alfaxan)
Anesthetic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 5 mg/kg | once; may require a higher dose | Single dose | Sedation for minor noninvasive procedures / diagnostic imaging (NOT anesthetic induction) | Moderate | Morrissey JM, Carpenter JW / Quesenberry KE, Orcutt CJ, Mans C, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, 2021 - TABLE 37.1 'Injectable PREANESTHETIC, SEDATIVE, AND TRANQUILIZER Drugs (mg/kg) Used in Small Mammals', Guinea Pig column: 'Alfaxalone 5 IM28'. The facing TABLE 37.2 'Injectable ANESTHETIC Drugs and Drug Combinations' prints a DASH for guinea-pig alfaxalone. Prose, printed p.539: 'In guinea pigs, alfaxalone at 5 mg/kg IM induced sedation within 2.7 +/- 0.6 minutes, suitable for diagnostic imaging and other minor noninvasive procedures.' CARPENTER TABLE 9.3 DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS ROW - its only guinea-pig alfaxalone row is 40 mg/kg IM, IP. |
Alfaxalone Injectable(Alfaxan)
Neurological| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 5 mg/kg | Once (single IM injection) | Single dose | Anesthesia induction | Moderate | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed. | Open-access corroboration 2026-07-20: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259559 PMID:34780534 — outbred, SPF Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs (38 (26–46) day-old), 5 mg/kg IM (peer_reviewed). — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 |
Ketamine(Ketaset, Vetalar)
Anesthetic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | 5–40 mg/kg | once (single sedation dose) | Single dose | Light sedation (heavy sedation at higher doses) - not sole-agent anesthetic induction | Moderate | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Rodents). Located 2026-08-05: the only table covering this species in which the drug's own row prints this dose. The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 |
Propofol Injectable(Rapinovet, PropoFlo)
Neurological| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | 3–5 mg/kg | once, titrate to effect | Single dose | Anesthesia induction | Weak | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed., Table 9.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anaesthetic Agents Used in Rodents), p.788 — "Propofol 3-5 mg/kg IV130 | Guinea pigs, chinchillas, prairie dogs"; corroborated by Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Table A.4, p.628 (corpus frr p.640) — "Propofol ... Guinea Pigs/Chinchillas 3-5 mg/kg IV" (Table 37.2, p.540 gives 3-6 IV) — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Rodents). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9780323484350, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323484350 |
Other conditions in Guinea Pigs
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice. Verify against current literature before clinical use.