Pain Management in Gerbils
Pocket Pet · Meriones unguiculatus · typical adult weight 0.07–0.13 kg
4 cited drugs treat Pain Management in gerbils: Aspirin, Butorphanol, Carprofen, Meloxicam.
Multimodal analgesia spanning NSAIDs, opioids, local anaesthetics, NMDA antagonists (ketamine), α2 agonists, and adjuncts. Species safety matters: NSAIDs are unsafe in some reptiles, opioid receptor distributions differ in birds, and rabbits tolerate buprenorphine particularly well.
The overview above describes Pain Management across species; the citations below are the ExoticRx dose rules scoped to gerbils — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.
Aspirin(Bufferin, Ascriptin)
Analgesic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 50–150 mg/kg | q4-8h | Analgesia | Weak | Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.789 — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712; Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 [w3r2 2026-08-14] LOCATOR: Carpenter 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents), row "Acetylsalicylic acid 50-150 mg/kg PO q4-8h122 | All". Held copy is a paginationless ebook conversion, so the table and not the page is the citable location. The cited primary itself carries the figure - BSAVA Small Animal Formulary Part B printed p.25 prints "Rodents: 50-150 mg/kg p.o. q4-8h". |
Butorphanol(Torbugesic, Torbutrol)
Analgesic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 1–5 mg/kg | q4h | Analgesia | Moderate | Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Hamster, Ratte, Maus und Rennmaus, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2014. | Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. | Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.790 — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712; 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 |
Carprofen(Rimadyl, Novox)
Analgesic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 5–10 mg/kg | not stated in source (max 10 mg/kg/day) | Analgesia / anti-inflammatory (NSAID) | Weak | Liles JH, Flecknell PA. A comparison of the effects of buprenorphine, carprofen and flunixin following laparotomy in rats. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 1994;17:284-290. | Wenger S. Anesthesia and analgesia in rabbits and rodents. J Exot Pet Med. 2012;21:7-16. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.790 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic 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 |
| SC | 5 mg/kg | not printed in the row | Analgesia / anti-inflammatory (NSAID) | Weak | Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Hamster, Ratte, Maus und Rennmaus, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2014. | Flecknell PA. Analgesia and post-operative care. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia; 2016:141-192. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.790 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic 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 |
Meloxicam(Metacam)
Analgesic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO, SC | 0.5 mg/kg | q24h | Analgesia / anti-inflammatory (NSAID) | Moderate | Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.792 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic 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; Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9780323484350, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323484350 |
Other conditions in Gerbils
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.