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My dog is aggressive and can't move after Acepromazine. What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 15 years and 9 months old | 80 lbs

Our dog Snowden was given Acepromazine for anxiety. The dose was 1 1/2 - 2 pills 2 hours before vet appointment. We gave her 1 pill at 11:00 am. By 12 pm, she couldn't walk. She is laying in the yard, and we can't pick her up because she growls at us. She has bitten us before. We were wondering if this drug can be fatal. Should we leave her alone and watch her? Is there anything we can do!? I called the vet, they said to bring her in, but, we can't even go near her to pick her up.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 8th, 2019

Hello. It is unlikely that this dose will be fatal, but this is an indication that she cannot tolerate this medication. Sedatives can be very unpredictable in dogs, so much care & thought must be given before administering them. If you can get her to the vet, that would be best. To avoid being bitten, ask to borrow a muzzle from your vet, or go ahead & purchase one. If you cannot do this, then you will just have to let the ace wear off, which can take 24 hours. Just make sure she is not lying in the damp or in bad weather. If you need to get her to the vet, next time you might talk about using something like Trazodone to calm her anxieties, or just a tiny dose of the ace. You will still probably need to muzzle her, but better safe than sorry. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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