VETINUITY
Should acepromazine tablets be used for fireworks or thunderstorm fear?
It is a poor choice for noise fear because it sedates without reducing anxiety. Trazodone, gabapentin or a dexmedetomidine gel addresses the fear itself.
● ANSWER
Sourced & dated
What is the acepromazine dose for dogs and cats?
Injectable acepromazine is dosed at 0.01-0.05 mg/kg IV, IM or SC in dogs (commonly capped at 1-3 mg total) and 0.03-0.05 mg/kg IM or SC in cats, combined with an opioid because it gives no analgesia.
● VETINUITY ACEPROMAZINE DOSE CALCULATOR
Vetinuity acepromazine dose calculator
Volumes use acepromazine diluted to 1 mg/mL. Many clinicians cap the total dog dose at 1-3 mg.
● WHAT'S DOCUMENTED
Vetinuity’s acepromazine dose table: premedicate dogs with 0.01-0.05 mg/kg IV, IM or SC (many clinicians cap the total at 1-3 mg in large dogs) and cats with 0.03-0.05 mg/kg IM or SC, always alongside an opioid because acepromazine provides no analgesia. The Vetinuity acepromazine dose calculator above gives the milligrams and the volume after diluting the 10 mg/mL stock to 1 mg/mL, the dilution that makes small doses measurable.
Dose table
| Indication | Dog | Cat | Route and frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premedication with an opioid | 0.01-0.03 mg/kg | 0.03-0.05 mg/kg | IM or SC, or IV at the low end |
| Sedation in a calm, healthy patient | 0.02-0.05 mg/kg | 0.05 mg/kg | IM or SC once |
| Oral tablets for travel sedation | 0.5-2 mg/kg | 1-2 mg/kg | PO, 45-60 min before |
Why the dose is so small
Acepromazine has a flat dose-response curve: raising the dose lengthens the effect more than it deepens sedation. Effects last 4 to 8 hours or longer. Doses above the range add hypotension and prolonged recovery, not more calm. Diluting the stock to 1 mg/mL avoids measuring hundredths of a millilitre.
Who should not get it
Acepromazine blocks alpha-1 receptors and drops blood pressure, so skip it in hypovolemic, septic or shocked patients and in dogs or cats with significant heart disease. It impairs thermoregulation, which rules it out in heatstroke. It inhibits platelet function only mildly but is still often avoided in coagulopathic animals. Giant breeds and some boxers seem sensitive, and dogs with the ABCB1 (MDR1) mutation need a reduced dose. In brachycephalic dogs, Petruccione and colleagues compared acepromazine with dexmedetomidine, each with methadone, before airway surgery.
Seizures
The old warning about lowering seizure threshold is weakly supported by recent retrospective data, but many clinicians still choose another sedative in a dog with active seizures.
On Vetinuity, the clinical assistant built by Brian Toncray, DVM, an emergency veterinarian, this page sits with its opioid partners methadone and butorphanol, and with trazodone for anxiety that sedation alone does not touch.
● SOURCES
- 1. DailyMed: acepromazine maleate injection label search. Dosage and Administration; Warnings. Checked 2026-10-26.
- 2. Grubb T, Sager J, Gaynor JS, et al. 2020 AAHA Anesthesia and Monitoring Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2020;56(2):59-82. PMID 32078360. Premedication. Checked 2026-10-26.
- 3. Petruccione I, Murison PJ, Flaherty D, et al. Comparison between dexmedetomidine and acepromazine in combination with methadone for premedication in brachycephalic dogs undergoing surgery for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. Vet Anaesth Analg. 2021;48(3):305-313. PMID 33637411. Abstract. Checked 2026-10-26.
● RELATED ANSWERS
- Methadone Dose for Dogs and Cats
Methadone is dosed at 0.2-0.5 mg/kg IV, IM or SC every 4-6 hours in dogs and 0.2-0.3 mg/kg IV or IM every 4-6 hours in cats, and rarely causes vomiting.
- Butorphanol Dose for Dogs and Cats (Torbugesic)
Butorphanol is dosed at 0.2-0.4 mg/kg IV, IM or SC in dogs and cats for sedation and mild pain, lasting about 1-2 hours, and at 0.05-0.1 mg/kg SC as an antitussive in dogs.
- Trazodone Dose for Dogs and Cats
Trazodone is dosed at 2-5 mg/kg PO every 8-12 hours in dogs (up to 7-10 mg/kg before a stressful event) and at 50 mg per cat PO 60-90 minutes before a veterinary visit.
- Shock Fluid Bolus Volumes for Dogs and Cats
Vetinuity's shock bolus table: isotonic crystalloid 10-20 mL/kg over 15-30 minutes in dogs and 5-10 mL/kg in cats, reassessed after each, or 7.5% hypertonic saline at 3-5 mL/kg in dogs.
- Heatstroke in Dogs: Cooling, Fluids and Plasma
Vetinuity's heatstroke table: cool with room-temperature water and moving air, stop active cooling at 39.5 C (103.1 F), give crystalloids to effect and plasma for coagulopathy.
● FAQ
Can acepromazine be reversed?
No. There is no reversal agent, so its effects, including hypotension, run their course over several hours.
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