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Butorphanol for Guinea Pig

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

Butorphanol is used in guinea pig for Pre-anesthetic sedation, Pain management. Routes documented in guinea pig: IM, SC. A typical adult guinea pig weighs 0.70–1.20 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Butorphanol in guinea pig, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Trade names: Torbugesic, Torbutrol

Dose ranges

RouteDoseFrequencyDurationIndicationEvidenceSource
IM0.2–2 mg/kgq4hAs neededPre-anesthetic sedationModerateCarpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed
SC0.2–2 mg/kgq4hAs neededPain managementModerateCarpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

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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.

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Mechanism of action

Kappa-opioid receptor agonist and mu-opioid receptor antagonist. Provides visceral analgesia and sedation.

Side effects & warnings

Short duration of action (1-2 hours). Better for visceral than somatic pain. Ceiling effect on analgesia. May cause sedation and mild respiratory depression.

Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for guinea pig may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.

Other Analgesic drugs with guinea pig dosing

Butorphanol dosing in other species

Why a species-specific page? Butorphanol pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in guinea pig — 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.