Pocket Pet · Cavia porcellus · typical adult weight 0.70–1.20 kg
Midazolam is dosed at 0.5–2 mg/kg IM once in guinea pigs, per Wenger S. Anesthesia and analgesia in rabbits and rodents. J Exot Pet Med. 2012;21:7-16. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2011.11.010 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.787 (2026-08-01).. Midazolam is used in guinea pigs for Pre-anesthetic sedation, Seizure control. Routes documented in guinea pigs: IM, IV. A typical adult guinea pig weighs 0.70–1.20 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Midazolam in guinea pigs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Versed
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.5–2 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Pre-anesthetic sedation | Moderate | Wenger S. Anesthesia and analgesia in rabbits and rodents. J Exot Pet Med. 2012;21:7-16. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2011.11.010 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.787 (2026-08-01). |
| IV | 0.5–2 mg/kg | q5min | Until controlled | Seizure control | Moderate | Graham JE, Doss GA, Beaufrère H, eds. Exotic Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. Wiley. Ch.16 Guinea Pigs, printed p.289 (corpus PDF p.305): 'Anticonvulsant: ... midazolam 0.5-2 mg/kg IM, IV' |
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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.
Enhances GABA-A receptor activity, increasing chloride conductance. Provides anxiolysis, sedation, muscle relaxation, and anticonvulsant effects.
May cause paradoxical excitement in healthy dogs when used alone. Water-soluble (less painful IM than diazepam). Respiratory depression at high doses. Flumazenil is the reversal agent.
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.
Midazolam dose ranges in guinea pigs, with cited source references: IM 0.5–2 mg/kg once; IV 0.5–2 mg/kg q5min. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Midazolam in guinea pigs: IM, IV.
Cited course lengths for Midazolam in guinea pigs include: Single dose; Until controlled. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Midazolam is indicated in guinea pigs for: Pre-anesthetic sedation, Seizure control.
These are general warnings for Midazolam across species; consult the guinea pig dosing table above for species-specific guidance. May cause paradoxical excitement in healthy dogs when used alone. Water-soluble (less painful IM than diazepam). Respiratory depression at high doses. Flumazenil is the reversal agent.
Why a species-specific page? Midazolam 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.