Pain Management in Guinea Pigs

Pocket Pet · Cavia porcellus · typical adult weight 0.70–1.20 kg

16 cited drugs treat Pain Management in guinea pigs: Buprenorphine, Butorphanol, Butorphanol Injectable, Carprofen, Fentanyl/fluanisone, Flunixin Meglumine, Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen, Meloxicam, Meperidine, Metamizole, Morphine, Nalbuphine, Oxymorphone, Tolfenamic acid, Tramadol.

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 guinea pigs — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.

Buprenorphine(Simbadol, Buprenex)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IV	0.02–0.05 mg/kg	q6-12h	As needed	Acute pain (hospitalized)	Moderate	Adamcak A, Otten B. Rodent therapeutics. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2000;3(1):221-237, viii. — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.150, Buprenorphine monograph spanning p.150-154.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
SC	0.02–0.05 mg/kg	q6-12h	As needed	Pain management	Moderate	Fehr M, Sassenburg L, Zwart P. Krankheiten der Heimtiere, 8th ed., Schluetersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hannover, Germany; 2015.; Flecknell PA. Analgesia and post-operative care. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia; 2016:141-192. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800036-6.00004-1 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents).
SC	0.05 mg/kg	q8-12h	As needed	Pain management	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed. \| Open-access corroboration: PMID:27931318 — guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), 0.05 mg/kg SC (subcutaneous) for the administered study dose; the general "suggested dosage range" sentence does not specify a route (peer_reviewed). [source route SC; interchangeable with IM for this drug] — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 9.3, Table 9.4 (the served figure is printed in each; all lie in the chapter covering this species).

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Butorphanol(Torbugesic, Torbutrol)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC	0.2–2 mg/kg	q4h	As needed	Pain management	Moderate	Allweiler SI. How to improve anesthesia and analgesia in small mammals. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2016;19:361-377. / 51. Flecknell PA. Analgesia and post-operative care. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia; 2016:141-192. / 130. 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. doi:10.1016/j.cvex.2016.01.012 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents).

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Butorphanol Injectable(Torbugesic, Torbutrol Injectable)

Neurological

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC	0.4–2 mg/kg	q4-6h	As needed	Analgesia	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents) - Butorphanol: '1-2 mg/kg SC q4h51 \| Guinea pigs, rats, mice' and '0.2-2 mg/kg q2-4h7,130 \| Most species'. Cross-reference: Hedley J, BSAVA Small Animal Formulary Part B: Exotic Pets, 10th ed., printed p.47: 'Guinea pigs: 0.2-2 mg/kg s.c. q4h'. NOTE FOR THE EDITOR: the served bounds 0.4-2.0 mg/kg q4-6h are printed by NEITHER book for guinea pigs, and the two books disagree on the low bound (Carpenter 1, BSAVA 0.2) - that choice is a DVM decision, not an extraction decision.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Carprofen(Rimadyl, Novox)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC	4 mg/kg	q12-24h	Analgesia (NSAID)	Moderate	Miller AL, Richardson CA. Rodent analgesia. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2011;14:81-92. — 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).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Fentanyl/fluanisone

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	0.5–1 ml/kg	not stated (single dose)	Anesthesia / neuroleptanalgesia	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.784 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Rodents).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Flunixin Meglumine(Banamine)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC	2.5 mg/kg	not stated in source	Analgesia (NSAID)	Moderate	Miller AL, Richardson CA. Rodent analgesia. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2011;14:81-92. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents), ref 125: "2.5 mg/kg SC — Most species".Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Ibuprofen

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	10 mg/kg	q4h	Analgesia (NSAID)	Weak	Flecknell PA. Analgesia and post-operative care. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia; 2016:141-192. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.791 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Ketoprofen(Ketofen)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC, IM	1–2 mg/kg	q12-24h	Analgesia (NSAID)	Moderate	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.792Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Meloxicam(Metacam)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	0.3–0.5 mg/kg	q24h	3-7 days post-dental	Dental pain (malocclusion)	Weak	Quesenberry, Orcutt, Mans & Carpenter, Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Table 37.6, p.552 - Guinea Pig: meloxicam 0.3-0.5 PO, SC q24hCompilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Meperidine

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC, IM	10–20 mg/kg	q2-3h	Analgesia (opioid)	Moderate	Flecknell PA. Analgesia and post-operative care. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia; 2016:141-192. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.792 doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800036-6.00004-1 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents).

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Metamizole

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO, SC	20–50 mg/kg	q6-12h	Analgesia	Weak	Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Meerschweinchen, Chinchilla und Degu, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2012. / Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Hamster, Ratte, Maus und Rennmaus, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2014. — 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).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Morphine

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC, IM	2–5 mg/kg	q4h	Analgesia (opioid)	Moderate	Flecknell PA. Analgesia and post-operative care. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia; 2016:141-192. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.792 doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800036-6.00004-1 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents).

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Nalbuphine(Nubain)

Neurological

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	1–2 mg/kg	q3h	Analgesia (opioid agonist-antagonist)	Moderate	Flecknell PA. Analgesia and post-operative care. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia; 2016:141-192. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.793 doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800036-6.00004-1 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents).

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Oxymorphone

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC, IM	0.2–0.5 mg/kg	q4h	Analgesia (opioid)	Moderate	Flecknell PA. Analgesia and post-operative care. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia; 2016:141-192. / Miller AL, Richardson CA. Rodent analgesia. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2011;14:81-92. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.793 doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800036-6.00004-1 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents).

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Tolfenamic acid

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC	2 mg/kg	q24h	Analgesia (NSAID)	Moderate	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.793 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Tramadol

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	5–10 mg/kg	q12h	As needed	Pain management	Extrapolated	Hoppes S. Analgesia and anesthesia of rabbits and rodents. Presented at: Southwest Veterinary Symposium; 2016. PMID: 1447903 — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.1261, Tramadol monograph spanning p.1261-1263.

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All drugs cited for Pain Management →All drugs for Guinea Pigs →

Other conditions in Guinea Pigs

Sedation Bacterial Infections Endoparasites Respiratory Infections Coccidiosis Conjunctivitis Ectoparasites Systemic Hypertension

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.