Pocket Pet · Cavia porcellus · typical adult weight 0.70–1.20 kg
Meloxicam is dosed at 0.5 mg/kg PO q24h in guinea pigs, per Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, Table 9.4, Meloxicam, p.792 (ref 130 = Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed. Elsevier; 2021:620-630), read directly at FRR printed p.627.. Meloxicam is used in guinea pigs for Pain, inflammation, Dental pain (malocclusion), Post-operative analgesia. Routes documented in guinea pigs: PO, SC. A typical adult guinea pig weighs 0.70–1.20 kg. ExoticRx lists 3 cited dose rules for Meloxicam in guinea pigs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Metacam
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 0.5 mg/kg | q24h | 3-7 days | Pain, inflammation | Moderate | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, Table 9.4, Meloxicam, p.792 (ref 130 = Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed. Elsevier; 2021:620-630), read directly at FRR printed p.627. |
| PO | 0.3–0.5 mg/kg | q24h | 3-7 days post-dental | Dental pain (malocclusion) | Moderate | 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 |
| SC | 0.3–0.5 mg/kg | q24h | 1-3 days then switch to oral | Post-operative analgesia | Moderate | Carpenter'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.
Preferential COX-2 inhibitor, reducing prostaglandin synthesis. Provides anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic effects.
Use with extreme caution in cats. Jurisdiction-specific labeling: the US (FDA) label authorizes a single SC dose only, with a boxed warning against repeated use; EU/UK/AU labels authorize repeated oral dosing for chronic musculoskeletal pain — follow your jurisdiction's label. GI ulceration risk. Avoid in dehydrated, hypovolemic, or renally compromised patients. Do not combine with other NSAIDs or corticosteroids.
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.
Meloxicam dose ranges in guinea pigs, with cited source references: PO 0.5 mg/kg q24h; PO 0.3–0.5 mg/kg q24h; SC 0.3–0.5 mg/kg q24h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Meloxicam in guinea pigs: PO, SC.
Cited course lengths for Meloxicam in guinea pigs include: 3-7 days; 3-7 days post-dental; 1-3 days then switch to oral. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Meloxicam is indicated in guinea pigs for: Pain, inflammation, Dental pain (malocclusion), Post-operative analgesia.
These are general warnings for Meloxicam across species; consult the guinea pig dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Use with extreme caution in cats. Jurisdiction-specific labeling: the US (FDA) label authorizes a single SC dose only, with a boxed warning against repeated use; EU/UK/AU labels authorize repeated oral dosing for chronic musculoskeletal pain — follow your jurisdiction's label. GI ulceration risk. Avoid in dehydrated, hypovolemic, or renally compromised patients. Do not combine with other NSAIDs or corticosteroids.
Why a species-specific page? Meloxicam 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.