Pocket Pet · Cavia porcellus · typical adult weight 0.70–1.20 kg
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is dosed at 50–100 mg/kg IV q24h in guinea pigs, per Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents). Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is used in guinea pigs for Acute severe scurvy, Vitamin C supplementation (obligate requirement), Maintenance vitamin C supplementation - guinea pigs cannot synthesise ascorbic acid, Severe scurvy, acute vitamin C deficiency. Routes documented in guinea pigs: IV, PO, PO, SC, IM, SC. A typical adult guinea pig weighs 0.70–1.20 kg. ExoticRx lists 4 cited dose rules for Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) in guinea pigs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | 50–100 mg/kg | q24h | Until stable | Acute severe scurvy | Extrapolated | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
| PO | 10–30 mg/kg | q24h | Lifelong daily supplementation | Vitamin C supplementation (obligate requirement) | Strong | Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
| PO, SC, IM | 10–30 mg/kg | q24h | During pregnancy and lactation | Maintenance vitamin C supplementation - guinea pigs cannot synthesise ascorbic acid | Anecdotal | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.803, Table (Miscellaneous agents used in guinea pigs/rodents), Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), maintenance row — corroborated verbatim by BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed, Part B: Exotic Pets, p.302: 'Guinea pigs: maintenance: 10-30 mg/kg/day p.o., s.c.' — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
| SC | 50–100 mg/kg | not stated in source | Until clinical improvement, then oral supplementation | Severe scurvy, acute vitamin C deficiency | Moderate | Fehr M, Sassenburg L, Zwart P. Krankheiten der Heimtiere, 8th ed., Schluetersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hannover, Germany; 2015. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100–200 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.316 | o., s.c. or 200-400 mg/l drinking water; hypovitaminosis C: 100-200 mg/kg p.o. q24h |
| 10–30 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 9.7 | 10-30 mg/kg PO, SC, IM |
| 50–100 | SC | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 9.7 | 50-100 mg/kg SC, PO |
| 100–200 | PO |
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Essential antioxidant and cofactor in collagen synthesis, immune function, and iron absorption. Guinea pigs cannot synthesize vitamin C endogenously (obligate requirement).
ESSENTIAL supplement for guinea pigs (10-30 mg/kg/day minimum). Degrades rapidly in water — supplement daily. High parenteral doses may cause oxalate crystalluria. Most other species synthesize their own.
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.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) dose ranges in guinea pigs, with cited source references: IV 50–100 mg/kg q24h; PO 10–30 mg/kg q24h; PO, SC, IM 10–30 mg/kg q24h; SC 50–100 mg/kg not stated in source. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) in guinea pigs: IV, PO, PO, SC, IM, SC.
Cited course lengths for Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) in guinea pigs include: Until stable; Lifelong daily supplementation; During pregnancy and lactation; Until clinical improvement, then oral supplementation. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is indicated in guinea pigs for: Acute severe scurvy, Vitamin C supplementation (obligate requirement), Maintenance vitamin C supplementation - guinea pigs cannot synthesise ascorbic acid, Severe scurvy, acute vitamin C deficiency.
These are general warnings for Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) across species; consult the guinea pig dosing table above for species-specific guidance. ESSENTIAL supplement for guinea pigs (10-30 mg/kg/day minimum). Degrades rapidly in water — supplement daily. High parenteral doses may cause oxalate crystalluria. Most other species synthesize their own.
Why a species-specific page? Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) 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.
| Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 9.7 |
| 100-200 mg/kg PO q24h 0.2-0.4 mg/mL drinking water |
| Dose (mg/l) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200–400 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.316 | maintenance: 10-30 mg/kg/day p.o., s.c. or 200-400 mg/l drinking water; hypovitaminosis C: 100-200 mg/kg p.o. q24h |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.