Pocket Pet · Cavia porcellus · typical adult weight 0.70–1.20 kg
Buprenorphine is dosed at 0.02–0.05 mg/kg IM q6-12h in guinea pigs, per 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]. Buprenorphine is used in guinea pigs for Pain management, Acute pain (hospitalized). Routes documented in guinea pigs: IM, IV, SC. A typical adult guinea pig weighs 0.70–1.20 kg. ExoticRx lists 3 cited dose rules for Buprenorphine in guinea pigs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Simbadol, Buprenex
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.02–0.05 mg/kg | q6-12h | 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] |
| 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). |
| 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). |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your guinea pig's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Partial agonist at mu-opioid receptors with high receptor affinity. Provides analgesia with a ceiling effect on respiratory depression.
OTM (oral transmucosal) absorption effective in cats. Ceiling effect limits maximum analgesia. Difficult to reverse with naloxone due to high receptor affinity.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for guinea pigs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Buprenorphine dose ranges in guinea pigs, with cited source references: IM 0.02–0.05 mg/kg q6-12h; IV 0.02–0.05 mg/kg q6-12h; SC 0.02–0.05 mg/kg q6-12h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Buprenorphine in guinea pigs: IM, IV, SC.
Cited course lengths for Buprenorphine in guinea pigs include: As needed. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Buprenorphine is indicated in guinea pigs for: Pain management, Acute pain (hospitalized).
These are general warnings for Buprenorphine across species; consult the guinea pig dosing table above for species-specific guidance. OTM (oral transmucosal) absorption effective in cats. Ceiling effect limits maximum analgesia. Difficult to reverse with naloxone due to high receptor affinity.
Why a species-specific page? Buprenorphine pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in guinea pigs — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.