Pain Management in Prairie Dogs
Pocket Pet · Cynomys ludovicianus · typical adult weight 0.70–1.68 kg
4 cited drugs treat Pain Management in prairie dogs: Buprenorphine, Buprenorphine SR, Gabapentin, Ketoprofen.
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 prairie dogs — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.
Buprenorphine(Simbadol, Buprenex)
Analgesic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC or IP | 0.01–0.05 mg/kg | every 6 to 12 h | analgesia (opioid) | Weak | Cary CD, Lukovsky-Akhsanov NL, Gallardo-Romero NF, et al. Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Meloxicam and Sustained-release Buprenorphine in Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2017 Mar;56(2):160-165. PMID: 28315645; PMCID: PMC5361041. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5361041/ |
Buprenorphine SR
Uncategorized| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 0.9 mg/kg | every 96 h | analgesia (sustained-release opioid; pain management) | Weak | Cary CD, Lukovsky-Akhsanov NL, Gallardo-Romero NF, et al. Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Meloxicam and Sustained-release Buprenorphine in Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2017 Mar;56(2):160-165. PMID: 28315645; PMCID: PMC5361041. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5361041/ |
| unspecified | 0.9 mg/kg | every 96 h | analgesia (sustained-release opioid) | Weak | Cary CD, Lukovsky-Akhsanov NL, Gallardo-Romero NF, et al. Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Meloxicam and Sustained-release Buprenorphine in Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2017 Mar;56(2):160-165. PMID: 28315645; PMCID: PMC5361041. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5361041/ |
Gabapentin(Neurontin)
Analgesic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 30 mg/kg | every 12 h (q12h) | Analgesia (postoperative and chronic neuropathic pain) — author-recommended dose based on pharmacokinetics | Weak | Mills PO, Tansey CO, Genzer SC, et al. Pharmacokinetic profiles of gabapentin after oral and subcutaneous administration in black-tailed prairie dogs. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2020;59:305-309. doi:10.30802/aalas-jaalas-19-000150 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents). — CORROBORATED 2026-08-06 by independent literature: Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Gabapentin after Oral and Subcutaneous Administration in Black-tailed Prairie Dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ). (Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science: JAALAS, 2020). doi:10.30802/aalas-jaalas-19-000150. https://doi.org/10.30802/aalas-jaalas-19-000150. The paper reports this drug at this dose in this species: "rative and chronic neuropathic pain. This study explored the pharmacokinetics of oral and […]". This is a second source alongside the book already cited; it corroborates the figure and does not by itself establish that the dose is correct. |
Ketoprofen(Ketofen)
Analgesic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC, IM | 2 mg/kg | q12h | analgesia (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.792Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
Other conditions in Prairie Dogs
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.