Acepromazine

[Guest FireHorse]

All the conditioning/desensitizing/Rescue Remedy/DAP in the world doesn't help Luke settle in the car, and when we took him for his well-doggy check the other day he whined and cried (and occasionally howled) for four hours straight. And when he got home it took him another couple hours to unwind, during which he panted and paced and was the ultimate velcro dog.

 

After observing all the drama, the vet offered us acepromazine, for events like this, with instructions to give it at least once at home, when there was nothing going on, so we could see how he reacted to it. she said he'd be anything from dopey to out cold, with a small possibility of aggressive. I've given it to him just now (in a corner of my peanut butter graham cracker ) and have him here in the office with me where I can keep a sharp eye on him.

 

So my question is, how does yours react on ace? How long does it last? Does it make yours aggressive when they're not normally? I'd like to hear about your experiences with it.

 

 

[3DogNite]

For my little girl,,, even the tiniest flake of Ace. puts her out COLD!!! for hours! it's kind of scary how out she is.

For my old man,,, he is dopey,, and incontinent, and stupid with 1/2 a pill.

 

I have never given a whole pill due to the severity of the reaction my little girl has.

 

good luck!

[Guest NewAustinHound]

It knocks her out cold. But it is a horse tranq so I am not surprised. We won't give it to her because it scared us she was so out. There was something more mild that the vet gave us to give her daily for her anxiety, it just calms her down, but don't think it would work for situational nerves, like car rides.

[Guest greybookends]

It has no effect whatsoever on Bill.

[BootsyCollins]

Ours was on Ace for a month due to a bad injury that required him to stay perfectly still. A "full" dose can be as high as 3 pills 3 times per day, but we gave him 1 pill once a day and it knocked him out all day - at least 12 hours. It really helped keep him quiet and not get worked up about going for walks or playing. However, my vet did explain to me that once a dog is worked up and anxious, Ace won't have any effect.

 

We never saw any aggression. He just slept. And slept through everything - we even had a 60th birthday party for my mom, and had about 50 people at the house. He slept the whole time in the middle of the dining room floor.

 

Some people are vehemently anti-acepromazine. It worked for us in that situation. The most important thing to remember is that, just like people, all dogs are different, and different dogs will have different levels of tolerance for medication. Definitely start with a low dose on a calm day and see how he does.

 

good luck!

 

[Guest jettcricket]

I've never had a problem....but it has always been a low dose - 10 mg and I haven't given it to them more then maybe 2 times.

 

[turbotaina]

Some people are vehemently anti-acepromazine. It worked for us in that situation. The most important thing to remember is that, just like people, all dogs are different, and different dogs will have different levels of tolerance for medication. Definitely start with a low dose on a calm day and see how he does.

 

I'll say that for CMoon's situation (an injury requiring no movement), Ace was probably warranted. I would not, however, use it for anxiety, but that's me and I don't have an anxious dog .

Edited February 8, 2008 by turbotaina

[Guest FireHorse]

Well. My first facetious question was going to be "How can you tell if a greyhound is doped to the gills if the side effect is sleeping?"

 

However, three hours in...I now appear to have an fuzzy 80 lb doorstop. He is *out*. The mailman knocked at the door and Jet went baying to see who it was; Luke just sat up, blinked a bit, then flopped back down. He'll open his eyes and look at me if I call him (although I question how many brain cells are connecting in there), and when ThingOne squeaked a toy he perked his ears up, but didn't get up. I took the opportunity to dremel his nails and gave him the usual peanut butter poop cup bribe and he licked it a bit but mostly was off in doggy dreamland. He was shivery for a bit and curled up into a cold-doggy ball, so I covered him and that seems to have fixed that.

 

So I think what I've learned from this is that probably half a tab is enough to knock the wind out of his sails for a car ride, and still leave him 'present' enough to be able to get around on his own. Because right now I'm not altogether sure I could get him up off the floor and onto his own four feet.

 

I asked about the difference between this and a true anti-anxiety med, and what she said is that an anti-anxiety works best for prolonged anxiety, like SA, but that this (or a tranq like it) works best for situational stuff-it's had to be anxious about anything when you're asleep. It's obviously not a long-term solution, but since it's only an occasional situational problem, it only needs a short-acting solution.

[Guest KennelMom]

When I've used it for anxiety in a dog, the anxiety is still there but the dog is even more freaked out b/c they also feel groggy or unable to walk. OR they have become such a lump that it scared me too much to give again. Our Grandpa, who has always had bad thunder-phobia takes valium for his anxiety. With his laryngeal paralysis he needs to stay calm and stress-free as possible. That works beautifully for him.

[Guest lizmego]

Wow. I am really surprised at how many of you have had a dog placed on ACE. Its a tranquilizer that just makes the body not function but the dog's mind is still "all there". I hate to be blunt, but my vet and our holistic vet both said that ACE was generally used to be convenient for the owner but not for the dog - my traditional vet and his tech said to imagine being scared and that's why you're acting out, to be given a tranqulizer and then not being able to move your body but still being scared from whatever was going on in your environment.

 

We use generic Xanax (Alprazolam) for Power when he freaks about fireworks. Its herbal based, from what our holistic vet said, and she feels comfortable advising its use, for the Chinese Herbs that she usually prescribes wouldn't be potent enough in this instance. Our traditional vet writes a prescription for Power and then we fill it at our local pharmacy.

[Guest lizmego]

I asked about the difference between this and a true anti-anxiety med, and what she said is that an anti-anxiety works best for prolonged anxiety, like SA, but that this (or a tranq like it) works best for situational stuff-it's had to be anxious about anything when you're asleep. It's obviously not a long-term solution, but since it's only an occasional situational problem, it only needs a short-acting solution.

Every vet/doctor is going to have his/her own opinion, that's why I usually go to a different vet/doctor for a second opinion. My traditional vet said that Xanax/Alprazolam can be used one time and does not have to be used constantly and you would still get good results. In fact, I'd be hesitant to place a greyhound on a routine prescription of this med, even though I do know of some greyhound owners who have and it works for their greyhound and their anxiety, whether the dog have SA or be a spook. We have our anxious grey on a Chinese Herb called "Shen Calmer" that we get prescribed through our acupuncturist/chiropractic/holistic vet. It has worked wonders for Dell and making him less anxious when on walks or anything out of the ordinary for him. This an herb that is given to Dell twice a day in his meals.

 

For Power, we only give him the Alprazolam a couple hours before July 4th fireworks will go off and it relaxes him that he doesn't mind the noise. Then once the fireworks season is over, he doesn't get it anymore.

 

Good luck finding a med that works for you.