Acepromazine Tablets, 10mg

Tranquilizer and Pre-Anesthetic Tablets for Sedation in Dogs and Cats

Product Description

Acepromazine Maleate 10mg Tablets are a prescription phenothiazine tranquilizer used by veterinarians to sedate dogs and cats before surgery, stressful procedures, or to manage motion sickness. It works by quieting the central nervous system and occupying dopamine receptors in the brain, bringing on rapid and pronounced sedation and muscular relaxation without putting the animal into a hypnotic sleep. One important clinical point is that acepromazine produces sedation without reducing anxiety or fear, so a pet may still feel frightened while looking calm. The tablet is FDA-approved for dogs and used off-label in cats, with scoring for flexible dose adjustment.

Benefits

• Pre-Surgical Sedation: Brings on fast and dependable sedation ahead of anesthesia and surgery, meaningfully cutting down the total amount of general anesthetic needed.
• Procedure and Examination Calming: Settles dogs and cats down during examinations, grooming, radiography, and other stressful procedures where staying still is important.
• Motion Sickness Prevention: Takes the edge off travel-related vomiting and nausea in dogs and cats that struggle with motion sickness on car or other trips.
• Cardiac Rhythm Stabilization: In some cases the medication can help steady cardiac rhythm as a secondary effect of its CNS depressant properties.
• Scored Tablets for Flexible Dosing: The scored design makes splitting for precise weight-based dosing straightforward in dogs and cats of different sizes.

Ingredients

Active Ingredients

Acepromazine Maleate 10mg

How to Use

Acepromazine Maleate 10mg Tablets are a prescription-only medication. A valid veterinarian prescription is required to purchase this product.

Please follow your veterinarian's specific instructions for the dosage and administration of this medication for your pet.

Disclaimer: Dosage and administration of this medication must be determined by a licensed veterinarian. Always consult your veterinarian before administering or adjusting any prescription medication for your pet.

Tucking this tablet into a soft pill pocket or pill wrap treat is a simple way to give it before a planned procedure or trip. Keeping your pet in a quiet, calm, and comfortable environment afterward matters because the medication brings on sedation without touching the underlying fear or anxiety.

Shop Pill Pockets for Dogs | Shop Pill Pockets for Cats

Additional Information

Precautions

• Avoid in Severe Heart Disease: Animals with significant cardiac disease or very low blood pressure should not receive this medication, as it causes peripheral vasodilation and can push hypotension further.
• Avoid in Seizure Disorders: Animals with a known seizure history need very careful management or an alternative, as acepromazine can bring the seizure threshold down.
• Caution in Boxer Breed: Boxers carry a known sensitivity to acepromazine that can bring on severe cardiovascular depression even at doses that are safe for other breeds.
• Caution in Brachycephalic Breeds: Short-airway breeds like Bulldogs, Pugs, and Shih Tzus need extra care given their vulnerability to respiratory depression with this medication.
• Caution in Debilitated Animals: Very sick, debilitated, or dehydrated animals should not receive this medication, as their risk of severe hypotension is significantly higher.
• Keep Sedated Pets Warm: This medication interferes with the body's temperature regulation, so keeping sedated animals warm throughout and after the procedure is essential.
• Drug Interaction Risk: Share a full list of your pet's current medications, including narcotics, barbiturates, propranolol, epinephrine, antacids, and antidiarrheals, with your veterinarian before starting.

Possible Side Effects

• Sedation and Incoordination: Deep drowsiness, muscle relaxation, and an unsteady gait are the expected and most commonly seen effects of acepromazine in pets.
• Third Eyelid Elevation: The third eyelid coming forward is a common and harmless reversible reaction that fades as the sedation wears off.
• Pink to Reddish-Brown Urine: A pink, orange, or reddish-brown change in urine color is something acepromazine commonly causes, and it is harmless and temporary.
• Low Blood Pressure: Weakness or collapse from hypotension is a serious reaction that needs immediate veterinary attention if it appears after administration.
• Prolonged Sedation: Very old, very young, debilitated, or liver-compromised animals may stay sedated longer than expected and need close monitoring throughout.

Storage Information

• Controlled Room Temperature: Store tablets somewhere cool and dry, maintaining a temperature of 68°F to 77°F inside a tightly closed container away from heat and humidity.
• Protect From Light and Moisture: Direct sunlight and damp conditions can wear down the tablet's potency, so a dry, shaded storage spot is the right choice.
• Out of Reach: Keep this medication somewhere children and untreated animals in the home cannot get to it.

NOTE: For generic medications, the product image shown may not reflect the actual item received. Generic medications can vary in size, color, and shape between orders depending on the manufacturer. Additionally, your medication may arrive packaged in a HardyPaw Pharmacy vial.

Shipping & Return

We offer ground, express, and priority delivery; see our shipping policy for details.

For return instructions or product concerns, please refer to our detailed refund policy.

Prescription items are NON-RETURNABLE and NON-REFUNDABLE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is acepromazine used for in dogs and cats?

Ans: Sedating dogs and cats ahead of surgery and stressful procedures, and taking the edge off motion sickness during travel, are the main uses for acepromazine tablets. The tablet is FDA-approved for tranquilization and as a preanesthetic agent in dogs and is used off-label in cats. A veterinarian will decide whether it suits the specific pet and procedure based on health status.

Q2: Does acepromazine reduce anxiety and fear in dogs and cats?

Ans: This is a point that often gets missed. Acepromazine brings on sedation and muscular relaxation but leaves anxiety and fear completely intact underneath. A pet can be fully frightened and distressed on the inside while looking outwardly calm and still. Pairing it with an anxiolytic is something veterinarians may consider for pets that carry significant fear going into a procedure.

Q3: Why should Boxer dogs be given acepromazine with extreme caution?

Ans: Boxers have a known sensitivity tied to how their autonomic nervous system is wired, and even doses that sit within the normal therapeutic range for other breeds can tip them into severe cardiovascular depression and dangerous low blood pressure. Managing a Boxer on acepromazine typically means working with a meaningfully reduced dose or switching to a different sedative altogether.

Q4: Why does acepromazine cause pink or reddish-brown urine in pets?

Ans: The color shift in urine is down to how acepromazine and its metabolites move through and out of the kidneys, and it is completely harmless. It is a recognized and expected response to the medication rather than a sign that anything has gone wrong. Mentioning it to a veterinarian at the next visit is sensible just to confirm it lines up with what is expected.

Q5: How long does the sedative effect of acepromazine tablets last in dogs and cats?

Ans: Several hours is the typical window, but how long the sedation actually runs depends on the dose, the animal's age, body condition, and how well the liver is working. Very old, debilitated, or liver-compromised animals can stay under for longer than expected. Keeping the pet in a warm, quiet, and supervised space until it is steady on its feet again is important.