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, Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen, Meloxicam, Meloxicam-alternative NSAID: Flunixin meglumine, 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. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.181 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.150, Buprenorphine monograph spanning p.150-154; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207
SC	0.05 mg/kg	q8-12h	As needed	Pain management	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed. \| Open-access corroboration 2026-07-20: 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); located 2026-08-06. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929
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 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.789 (2026-08-01). — 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

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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 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.790 (2026-08-01). — 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

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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.

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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). 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

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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). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — 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

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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). 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

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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.792 — 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

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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 q24h — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: 'p.552' is the PRINTED page number, confirmed by finding the drug named on it in the held copy. — 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

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Meloxicam-alternative NSAID: Flunixin meglumine

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC	2.5 mg/kg	q12-24h	Analgesia (NSAID)	Moderate	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). 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

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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). 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

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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). 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

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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). 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

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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). 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

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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). 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

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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). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — 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

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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 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.1291 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.1261, Tramadol monograph spanning p.1261-1263; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207; Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia — ISBN 9780813811833, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780813811833

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

Other conditions in Guinea Pigs

Sedation Bacterial Infections General Anesthesia Endoparasites Respiratory Infections Coccidiosis Conjunctivitis Ectoparasites

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.