Acepromazine (ACE) for dogs (worried)

[tink20]

My dog went to the vet this morning for her yearly checkup and shots. She is a very anxious dog and doesn't like strangers to touch her. So after a horrible experience at the vet a year ago, we (me and the vet) decided this time to give her an ace pill. The visit went better this time. The vet said the effects vary in dogs, but could last 6hrs.

Well I gave it to her at 8am, and here it is.... 6pm and she is still in bed, hasn't drank any water and just doesn't seem like herself. Should I be worried? (I am ) Has anyone else had any experience with this? tia

 

[LiveYourLife]

It is most likely a combination of the ace and your pup getting her shots. My Vet always reminds me after my dogs' yearly shots to expect them to be tired for the rest of the day.

How much does your dog weigh? And how much ace did you give her?

Have you tried to get her to eat dinner??

 

[tink20]

12 lbs, I gave her 1/2 of the tablet. I have offered water, she doesn't want any, right when we came home (9:30 am), she ate a little bit of her food.

 

[Jennasis]

Are her feet cold?

Ace is a drug that wears off very quickly. It's not normal for your dog to still be feeling the effects of sedation this long after ingesting the pill. Call your vet. I asked about the feet because if they are cold it could be indicative of a serious circulatory/cardiac problem.

 

[LiveYourLife]

What color are her gums??? Are they nice and pink? Agree with Jennasis. Ace is not a very long lasting sedative. I would call your Vet just to be sure.

Was this the first time you've given her the ace? 1/2 a tab seems like a lot for a 12lb dog. What is the mg of the full tablet?

 

[tink20]

10mg (so she got 5mg), feet are warm. I looked at her gums, they look ok I guess. My vet office is closed.

 

[tink20]

I just want my baby to feel better

 

[Jennasis]

10mg (so she got 5mg), feet are warm. I looked at her gums, they look ok I guess. My vet office is closed.

Does your vet not have an after hours emergency number? Look at not just the color of her gums (should be nice and pink), but also her capillary refill time...press your finger into her gums for a few seconds and then when you pull your finger away there should be a white spot where your finger was, but the pink color should return to the white spot very quickly.

 

[LiveYourLife]

Tink, what kind of dog??? Does she usually sleep after her annual vaccines?

The appropriate dose is 0.25mg UP TO 1mg per pound of body weight. So you gave her about a mid-range of the recommended dose for her body weight with your 5mg that was given this am.

Keep a close eye on her. Check her gums and feet. Also watch for labored breathing. If her gums go white, or cold feet or she has difficulty breathing - call an Emergency Vet, ASAP.

You may want to cut back to 1/4 of a tablet the next time you need to give it.

I hope your sweet little girl feels better soon.

 

[tink20]

I just called my vet number, it refers me to a 24hr clinic. I called, that vet told me to check her gums also. She said to get her up and stimulate her (I have just been letting her sleep all day) So that's what I am doing right now.

She is mixed, or what I call a Baskin Robbins lol. She looks like a short dachshund sp?.

 

[luvwinnie]

She doesn't have a brachycephalic breed in her does she, like bulldog, pug etc? They should never get ACE.

 

[LiveYourLife]

She doesn't have a brachycephalic breed in her does she, like bulldog, pug etc? They should never get ACE.

I doubt her Vet would have suggested/prescribed ACE, if her dog was a brachycephalic breed.

OP, I'm glad you called the E-Vet just to be on the safe side. I had to give my JRT acepromazine any time we went to the Vet for over 14 years. I'm sure this scared the bejeezus out of you! Keep us posted on how she is doing.

 

[LongLiveDisney]

Good luck. Hope your pup is okay.

 

[tink20]

She doesn't have a brachycephalic breed in her does she, like bulldog, pug etc? They should never get ACE.

No, she isn't

I doubt her Vet would have suggested/prescribed ACE, if her dog was a brachycephalic breed.

OP, I'm glad you called the E-Vet just to be on the safe side. I had to give my JRT acepromazine any time we went to the Vet for over 14 years. I'm sure this scared the bejeezus out of you! Keep us posted on how she is doing.

Thanks, I am a worrier, I can't help it. I am going to let her sleep with me tonight, instead of her crate. DH is at work, so she will have plenty of room in my bed. Hopefully, I can report back in the morning with some good news.

Thanks everyone

 

[aprilgail2]

My dog went to the vet this morning for her yearly checkup and shots. She is a very anxious dog and doesn't like strangers to touch her. So after a horrible experience at the vet a year ago, we (me and the vet) decided this time to give her an ace pill. The visit went better this time. The vet said the effects vary in dogs, but could last 6hrs.

Well I gave it to her at 8am, and here it is.... 6pm and she is still in bed, hasn't drank any water and just doesn't seem like herself. Should I be worried? (I am ) Has anyone else had any experience with this? tia

When I give it to my dog he is knocked out until the morning! He is about 40 pounds and depending on where he is going he gets either a 10 or a 25mg pill. Sometimes I will give him a 10 and half a 10, so 15mg. Last month I gave him just one 10 and it knocked him on his butt the whole day, had to pick him up and carry him out to the car to take him to the groomer. The groomer had to hold his head up out of the water or the darn dog would drown. Glad I didn't give him a 15! When he comes home from the groomer he lays down and we don't hear from him until the next morning!

 

[RNMOM]

Ah yes, the beloved doggie downer. We have used it before and it is a very strong drug for him. He is about 70 lbs. and a whole tablet will knock him out. We usually give it to him when he is scratching a lot. He came up negative for everything when allergy tested so we given him 1/4 tablet and he calms down and sleeps. Any more than that and we have trouble keeping him awake.

Start with 1/4 tablet and see how he does. All people and pets are different.

 

[JessicaR]

I gave one 25 mg pill to my 150 pound dog recently. The Vet said we could give him 2 pills. 1 pill knocked him out for the count and the effects lasted from 6P till the next morning. I won't be using that again or if we have to I will give him half a pill. Some dogs/breeds are more sensitive to Ace.

Hope your dog is coming around and the drug is finally wearing off a bit.

 

[kacaju]

aww..hope your dog is feeling better now. I used to give our 70lb dog ace for thunderstorms (I dont remember how many mg) but stopped because I had to give it an hour before the thunderstorm was due and half the time the storm missed us and the dog was doped up all night (since the storms were alway late afternoon)

 

[JessB320]

Try not to worry to much. I worked as a vet tech for over 10 years. The dose given was appropriate. Just like with people dogs can have different reactions to the same drug. Good job on calling the e-vet!! I'm sure by the morning she will be back to normal I'm glad it helped make her appointment easier on all of you!

 

[tink20]

My sweet playful doggie is back. She slept with me last night. I kept checking on her all night. This morning I took her outside, when we came back in, she went and got her toy and brought it to me ready to play. She has now eaten and drank some water. Next time, if I decide to use the medicine, I will use 1/4 tablet.

You just don't realize how much you love your pet until something like this happens. I was really scared. Thanks again everyone, your kind words made me feel better last night.

Here is a picture, its not recent, so she is just a little bigger now

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/155644_176567282371765_2437244_n.jpg