My vet prescribed acepromazine for carsick
 

Hi all,

So, I took Chloe to the vet for her wellness exam and discussed her carsick issue with him. Then he prescribed axepromazine for carsick since Chloe threw up twice when we drove to Chicago (about 3+ hours drive - one way) the last 2 times.

So, my Qs are.....

Have any of your pup had experience with acepromazine? Any serious or bad side effect?

He said I should give the med to her on an empty stomach. But when can I feed her again?

So, this morning I decided to give her the med (a test trial) to see how she react to it. So far...everything seems normal......But I am just worry....

But my poor baby, I really don't want her to suffer from carsick anymore!!!

Did you try ginger first (like a ginger snap cookie)? It is safer and healthier if it works for her.:)

where can I buy ginger snap cookie? is it made just for dog? thanks!

Ginger Snaps are a cookie for people and they are sold at grocery stores. One popular brand name is Archway. Ellie used to throw up in the car and now I give her 1/2 cookie before we leave. So far, so good.

How "big" is your Ellie? Also, why is it about the ginger snaps cookie that will help them for motion sickness??:confused:

Ellie is 5 1/2 pounds. Ginger settles the stomach, so anything with ginger might work.

It probably doesn't work for all dogs but it is a popular remedy.

My vet prescribed acepromazine for air travel, and I used it a couple times with Eddie. I didn't like it because he looked sad and glassy eyed. And when I tried it with 4-pound Jack, he was miserable. He chewed and dug at his carrier the whole trip. He almost looked like he was convulsing.

So this last trip, I went without anything. Surprise, they did great. I'll never use it again.

However, they've never had carsickness symptoms. He prescribed it mainly for nervousness. His reasoning was that it's better to have a drugged dog than to have a frantic dog.

If I were you, I'd try Ellie May's advice of ginger snaps. That's what people recommend as a mild treatment for humans.

If that doesn't work, go with the vet's advice.

Oh, I do notice Chloe looks sad and glassy eyed!!! My poor baby!! We went on a short car ride with her and she was less nervous and such.

But I will definitely try out the ginger snaps and see how she react to it! I really do not like the idea of drug also.....

I didn't know that! Interesting!! So, Chloe is 6.4 lbs. Should I still give her 1/2 cookie or more?

I would probably give about 3/4 or so. They are small. It is our solution because Ellie gets motion sickness but she does not get nervous in the car. If Chloe gets nervous it won't do any good. You might have to go with Ace if she is frantic but the side effects concern me (for Ellie anyway).

I am not sure if she is nervous? She just looks like she doesnt like to be in a car... or ride in car? like she "shake" a little, but after a while, she will be fine and just lay down on my laps....so, does the "shaking" mean she is nervous? (ok, hopefully I didnt sound dumb asking this one!! :p ) I think she is nervous? But she seems fine after a little while though?:confused: so, you don't think the ginger cookie will help her? what kind of side effect from Ace that you have experience with Ellie? So far....Chloe just looked really sleepy today, cant really walk straight and her eyes look watery and sad...I think those are the side effects I have so far from Ace.....

It is hard to say. It might help vomiting. If the shaking is from being nauseous it might help. If the shaking is from being scared it won't.

I have never used Ace but have read the side effects online. It is a safe drug but complications do occur. These are not the kind of side effects that I would want my dog to have in the car mles away from a vet...

http://www.animalshelter.org/petmeds...azine/143.html

I see. Thanks for the info!!! I think I will still try out the ginger cookie and see how she react to it...

Do you have any other dogs?? Aceprozamine is not recommended for dogs with multiple dogs in the household because it can cause aggression.

That's interesting. Even one-time use?

No, I dont have another dog. I only have Chloe. But I do notice she becomes lil more aggressive with Ace.

So, I bought the ginger cookie tonight and will give it a try tom. How much ahead of time should I give it to her? Does she need to be on an empty stomach?

Hmmm...I'm not sure about just a one-time use.

I don't think one time will be a prob. Chloe seems fine....

The aggressiveness probably comes on after some time of use...Also, not all dogs will react that way either. I'll try to find a link, but as you said, I don't think one time would make a difference.

I give it to Ellie 10-20 minutes before. I like her to have an empty stomach but the last time she didn't and did fine on a two hour trip.

Okay, I will give one cookie to her 15 min before tom.

I always wonder about this....I know they said it is better to have an empty stomach when travel.....but how long does she need to be on an empty stomach? How much time in advance I should stop given any food to her?

Bonine works great, I give mine 1/4 of a pill (they say you can give 1/2 a pill) an hour before traveling and they do not get the drugged out effect, they are just calm and not sick.
It is a human product.
I first heard about it thru another show breeder who is a nurse.
I get it at the pharmacy over the counter.

Deana
Prestigeous

Interesting....so, we could give our dogs a human med? And I should give it to Chloe on an empty stomach too?

I will try out the ginger cookie tom and see how it goes..if not, I will try Bonine....thanks!!

I wanted to let you read the medical version of how Ace is described..Dogs are like humans, not every one reacts to drugs the same and it is known to have profound reactions...I know a few of our Vets here in town give this drug freely and feel its the answer to motion sickness, agression or fear..We used it once on our Australian SHephard because when he heard fireworks he went crazy with fear...when he was on the Ace, his eyes would roll back in his head, he couldn't move and it scared me to death!!!!We also tried it once on a Cat I was transporting for my daughter to her when she moved off to college..the same reaction, eyes rolling back, unable to move..and after that I said, No More of this crap!!! I'd rather deal with the prob. or find another alternative...Now with our Yorkies, we have one, Bogus that has car sickness..so, I limit his food before the trips..he gets little nibbles of dog biscuits every few hours..and very limited on fluids. Now this is for a 3-4 hour trip...He has to be in the kennel where he can't look out the window and only see us and he does so much better doing these few things...I like the ginger snaps..I'm going to try those next time instead of biscuits....Ace just scares me...Happy New Year!
Steph

Routes IV, IM, Oral
Acepromazine or Acetylpromazine (More commonly known as ACP, Ace, or by the trade name Atravet or "Acezine 2" etc, number depending on mg/ml dose) is one of the phenothiazine derivative psychotropic drugs, used little in humans, however frequently in animals as a sedative and antiemetic. Its principal value is in quietening and calming frightened and aggressive animals. The standard pharmaceutical preparation, acepromazine maleate, is used extensively in equine, feline, and canine; especially as a pre-anesthetic agent often in conjunction with Atropine, and often an opiate such as morphine or buprenorphine. Its depressive cardiopulmonary effects can be profound and as such is not recommended for use in geriatric or debilitated animals, (often substituted with midazolam in these cases, or left out of the premed cocktail all together).


[edit] Administration
Canine: When used as a premedication it is commonly administered via the subcutaneous route. ACP should not be used in sighthounds.

In the Boxer, it tends to cause a problem called first degree heart block, a potentially serious arrhythmia of the heart. It also causes a profound hypotension (severe lowering of the blood pressure) in many Boxers that receive the drug. On the Veterinary Information Network, a computer network for practicing veterinarians, an announcement was placed in the cardiology section entitled "Acepromazine and Boxers."

Aceapromazine? NO!!!
 

My vet will only prescribe this harmful drug under dire circumstances. It is NEVER A DRUG OF CHOICE EVEN for behavioral problems (training is) or for car sickness. It depresses the CNS and in general, she makes no bones about it--stay away from ACE if at all possible. I have a Yorkie who gets violently car sick and she did prescribe Cerenia (worked like a charm) but this can only be used for two successive days if traveling. Yesterday, I had to take this Yorkie to the vet which was 25 miles away and I knew that Cerenia was not what I should use on shorter trips. I tried BONINE and was totally shocked what a 1/2 of the chewable (disguised in food) did for him. He was fine all day, riding for miles on end etc. I hate giving drugs of any kind but all the natural remedies I have tried didn't make a dent. HOpefully, with more car rides and lowering the Bonine dose, he will get over this disgusting motion sickness.

I have carsick problems with Gracie. Monday I took her for her shots and the vet is 10 mins away. When I put her in the vehicle she starts panting and shaking. Down the road she starts foaming. We got to the vet finished there all the while she was still shaking and drooling. She stayed that way for the trip back and as soon as I turned the car off she threw up!:rolleyes:

Carsickness (con't)
 

Ok, Acepromazine is ok OCCASIONALLY, IF IT EVEN WORKS. But it is not the car sickness drug of choice because if you travel a lot you are constantly lowering the blood pressure of your dog and this is just not healthy. No drugs are healthy to take but darn it, some of us need help!!

So, I have discovered that two things that have been very helpful, used judiciously, with my very car sick Yorkie who has also upchucked right in my driveway as I was parking and HOME TO STAY <ARRRRRGH>. But most of the time he just pukes five minutes into any ride. Since I like to travel and since I now have THREE DOGS I absolutely cannot tolerate this mess along I-95. Give me a break!!!

Here are the two drugs that have made the last three rides (one very long and the other two just 20-30 miles long) so pleasant I wanted to cry.

1) Cerenia: can only be used for two days in a row but for a very long trip where you are going to vacation for a while, this was miraculous for Buddy. I have used it once since I am still away from home. I will use it again when it is time to take the five hour drive. WONDERFULLY SUCCESSFUL!! No drowsiness, no side effects, just great.

2) Bonine: I have used this just TWICE for longish day trips of about an hours length, and just recently. I had tried dramamine and it was useless and it made Buddy a little stupid.So, because I couldn't use the Cerenia for such a short trip I tried 1/2 Bonine pill and my God, it worked like a charm.

So both of these did work FOR ME. Granted, I have no illusions about taking Buddy on daily rides or lugging him everywhere with me...no way. I may take him more often as I try to wean from the Bonine etc. because maybe, just maybe, I can finally desensitize him to the car. But if you are going to take your dog out DAILY or insist that your pooch always go with you in the car, you cannot used meds--period. You will kill the liver.

Anyway, I THINK that Bonine plus frequent rides COULD mean that your pooch adjusts to the car one day because each time she does not throw up in the car, it is a GOOD EXPERIENCE and there is a chance that with practice your dog (and mine) could learn to ride drug free and happy. Who knows?????

Yea I thought it was odd that when my vet prescribed ACE for Chloe......I personally don't like any drug at all.........I think I am switching Vet.........

I'd try the ginger snaps first. I don't know anything about the medicine.