Sedation in Guinea Pigs

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

6 cited drugs treat Sedation in guinea pigs: Alfaxalone, Atropine, Butorphanol, Dexmedetomidine, Ketamine, Midazolam.

Pharmacologic sedation for diagnostic procedures, minor surgical interventions, and pre-anaesthetic premedi-cation. α2 agonists (dexmedetomidine, medetomidine), phenothiazines (acepromazine), and benzodiazepines (midazolam) form the backbone of veterinary protocols.

The overview above describes Sedation 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	5–10 mg/kg	once	Single dose	Sedation, short procedures	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Alfaxalone dosing in Guinea Pigs →Calculate for this guinea pig →

Atropine

Emergency

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	0.05–0.1 mg/kg	once	Single dose	Pre-anesthetic	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed
SC	0.05–0.1 mg/kg	once	Single dose	Bradycardia, pre-anesthetic	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Atropine dosing in Guinea Pigs →Calculate for this guinea pig →

Butorphanol(Torbugesic, Torbutrol)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	0.2–2 mg/kg	q4h	As needed	Pre-anesthetic sedation	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Butorphanol dosing in Guinea Pigs →Calculate for this guinea pig →

Dexmedetomidine(Dexdomitor, Sileo)

Anesthetic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	0.01–0.05 mg/kg	once	Single dose	Sedation, pre-anesthetic	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Dexmedetomidine dosing in Guinea Pigs →Calculate for this guinea pig →

Ketamine(Ketaset, Vetalar)

Anesthetic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	20–40 mg/kg	once	Single dose	Sedation, anesthesia	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Ketamine dosing in Guinea Pigs →Calculate for this guinea pig →

Midazolam(Versed)

Anesthetic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	0.5–2 mg/kg	once	Single dose	Pre-anesthetic sedation	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Midazolam dosing in Guinea Pigs →Calculate for this guinea pig →

All drugs cited for Sedation →All drugs for Guinea Pigs →

Other conditions in Guinea Pigs

Bacterial Infections Respiratory Infections General Anesthesia Pain Management Coccidiosis Conjunctivitis Endoparasites GI Ulceration

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.