Acepromazine for Dogs and Cats

Medically Reviewed by Joshua Conrad, PharmD on September 19, 2024
Written by Kathleen Claussen, DVM
6 min read

Acepromazine (brand name: PromAce) is classified as a phenothiazine sedative/tranquilizer.

It can calm your dog or cat when they travel or have veterinary exams, veterinary treatments, and minor procedures. Using it before they get general anesthesia can reduce the amount of anesthesia they need. It’s also approved to help protect dogs and cats from nausea and vomiting due to motion sickness. 

Dogs and cats with skin conditions may also get relief from itching while taking acepromazine, but you can get more effective anti-itch medicines. Acepromazine can be used extra-label or off-label to treat urinary blockage in male cats. 

Acepromazine is also prescribed extra-label or off-label for other uses in dogs and cats, as well horses, cattle, donkeys, pigs, sheep, goats, ferrets, rabbits, and small mammals. Extra-label or off-label means there’s evidence a drug is safe and effective, even if there's no FDA approval for that specific use or type of animal. Acepromazine is FDA-approved for use in dogs, cats, and horses.

Acepromazine tablets are available as a prescription from your vet, or with a veterinary prescription from an online pharmacy. It’s also available as a shot given by your vet. Contact your veterinary compounding pharmacy for other dosing options. 

It’s given by mouth as a tablet that can be taken with or without food. If you give it to your pet when they have an empty stomach and they throw up, try giving it to them with a small amount of food or a treat. 

Give the tablet to your pet 30 to 60 minutes before they travel, see their vet, or whatever reason you want to sedate them. It may help to give them a trial dose to check their level of sedation a few days before the actual event. Give them the least amount that’s effective. Acepromazine is usually given one time or as needed. Talk to your vet about what’s best for your pet. 

Acepromazine also comes as a shot given in your vet clinic. It can be given in a vein, muscle, or underneath their skin. Sedation lasts about 4 to 8 hours. There’s not any medicine known to reverse the effects of acepromazine.

Always follow your vet’s directions for giving medicine to your pet. Tell them about any medicines, vitamins, supplements, or herbal therapies your pet takes. Talk to your vet before stopping any pet medicines. 

Its benefits include:

  • It should be safe in a wide range of doses.
  • It’s effective for 4 to 8 hours.
  • It can make pain relief from opioids last longer when the drugs are used together.
  • It’s FDA-approved for use in dogs, cats, and horses.

You and your vet should monitor your pet for their degree of sedation and side effects. To give acepromazine to your pet before anesthesia, your vet should first do a full work-up, including baseline blood and urine tests. Your pet’s heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature should be monitored while they’re on acepromazine. If they have side effects at any point, their blood should be checked right away.

Don’t use acepromazine in pets that are allergic to it, or that have blood pressure or heart problems. Use it with caution if your pet is a breeding animal and they’re pregnant or nursing. Use it with caution if your pet is older or has liver issues. 

Monitor your pet for too much sedation, or sedation that lasts more than 6 to 8 hours. If they’re heavily sedated and not actively blinking, protect their eyes with an eye ointment recommended by your vet.

Some cats will show their third eyelid and have less tear production. This is a slightly cloudy looking tissue that comes from the corner of their eyes closest to their nose. It protects their eyes and helps keep them moist. It’s normal for this tissue to appear.

After an acepromazine shot, watch for reactions where the shot was given. You might see swelling or redness, or your pet may have pain or discomfort when that area is touched. If it seems severe, or doesn’t get better after a short time, contact your vet.

Some pets who get acepromazine may become very active. In rare cases, they become aggressive or react to loud noises. If this happens, talk to your vet about other treatments.

Your pet’s pee may change color to pink or red-brown. This is normal and harmless. It’ll go away after they stop taking the medicine.

Your dog’s breed may matter, as some breeds can be sensitive to acepromazine. Talk to your vet if you have a giant breed, a sighthound (like a greyhound), a boxer or other short-nosed dog, or your dog has a specific gene mutation called the MDR1 mutation.

Using more than one medicine can sometimes change how your pet’s medicines work. It can also increase their risk of serious side effects. Always tell your vet about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements your pet takes.

Before giving acepromazine to your pet, tell your vet if they take: 

Antacids. Antacids used with by-mouth acepromazine may cause a drop in the amount of acepromazine your pet takes into their blood. To avoid having to give a higher dose of acepromazine, give them acepromazine 2 hours before antacids.

Antidiarrheal products. Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto Bismol and other stomach medicines) is used to treat diarrhea, and to coat and protect the lining of your pet’s stomach and intestines. Kaolin/pectin is another medicine used to treat diarrhea in pets. When either of these is used with acepromazine, your pet absorbs less acepromazine. Give them acepromazine 2 hours before antidiarrheal products.

Antipyretics. Antipyretics such as acetaminophen, dipyrone, and NSAIDs are medicines used to reduce a fever. If taken with acepromazine, there’s a risk your pet’s body temperature will go too low.

Barbiturates. Barbiturates, such as phenobarbital, are medicines used to decrease the number and severity of seizures in dogs and cats. Taking phenobarbital and acepromazine together may cause your pet to become even more sedated. This may make it harder to control seizures in a pet with seizure disorders. Use caution when using these medicines together. 

Blood pressure medicines. Medicines like amlodipine, benazepril, enalapril, and telmisartan are used to treat high blood pressure in pets. Taking acepromazine may further decrease their blood pressure, below normal levels. Your pet’s blood pressure should be monitored when you give them these drugs at the same time. 

Sucralfate. Sucralfate is a medicine used to treat dogs for ulcers (open sores) in their mouth, esophagus, stomach, and part of their intestines. It reduces their absorption of acepromazine when the drugs are given together. Give sucralfate 2 hours after acepromazine. 

This may not be a complete list of medicines that can interact with acepromazine. Always check with your veterinarian.

Keep acepromazine out of the reach of children. Wash your hands after giving it to your pet. Don’t handle acepromazine if you’re allergic to it.

If you suspect your pet had more acepromazine than prescribed, call your veterinarian or veterinary emergency clinic right away. If your pet gets a little too much acepromazine, they will usually be monitored, and any side effects will be treated with supportive care. If your pet gets an excessive amount of acepromazine, they need to have their stomach emptied, if possible. 

Missed doses aren’t usually a problem with acepromazine. It’s usually given to your pet one time or occasionally. Don’t double your pet’s dose. 

Acepromazine tablets and shots should be protected from light and stored at room temperature. Compounded forms of acepromazine should be stored according to the compounding pharmacy’s recommendations.