Canine
Tranquilization for Noise Phobia
Noise Phobia is
defined as an excessive and
unreasonable fear response to
specific loud noises.
This is more common in canines
than felines. In dogs, the
most common noise phobias are to
fireworks and thunder.
Less common are fear responses
to trucks or motorcycles.
One dog was even reported to be
fearful of quacking migrating
ducks.
If the phobia is time
predictable – like the fireworks
on the Fourth of July – then the
simplest solution is to sedate
the pet for a few hours on days
when fireworks are expected.
Drugs like Prozac are not
helpful because they need to be
administered for 1-3 weeks
before they begin to work.
Veterinary Supervised Drug
Therapy: For
short-term tranquilization, most
veterinarians use a drug called
Acepromazine ("Ace"). It
is available in tablet and
injectable form, and although
more expensive, the injectable
form can be reformulated into an
oral liquid. The tablets
come in many sizes. The
most common are 5, 10, and 25
mg/tablet. State laws
require the pet has to have been
examined within 12 months to
receive this drug.
Side Effects: Ace is a
very safe drug that has a few
side effects. The most
important is…
"Don't use this drug in pets
with seizure disorders."
It doesn't cause seizures, but
if the pet ALREADY has epilepsy
it increases the possibility of
a seizure.
The second important side effect
is sedation. Most dogs
look "drugged" for 8-12 hours
after consuming the medication,
and minor effects may linger for
24 hours as the drug is
gradually eliminated in the
urine.
A
beneficial side effect is
reducing vomiting.
Therefore, Ace is also used for
motion-sickness.
Dose: The
label dose for Ace is "0.25-1.0
mg per lb body weight. Repeat as
necessary." This means
that if the dog weighs 50
pounds, the dose range would be
from 12.5 to 50 mg, which is
quite a range. Many dogs
do quite well at doses smaller
than the label suggests.
In general, younger and older
dogs need less medication.
More fearful dogs need higher
doses. Some breeds (e.g.
Chows) seem to be resistant to
the drug and require the high
end of the dose. The best
plan is to start at the low end
of the dose range, and test the
response on a day before you
actually need it.
Onset: It
usually takes 1-2 hours after
you give the drug, to see its
effect. Peak effect is at
about 3 hours after
administration. Giving it
with some food is a good idea,
but not required. However,
if the dog is already scared,
the digestive process is slowed,
so it may take 4 hours or longer
to see effects. Therefore,
"give it before you need it"
which is ideally about 1-2 hours
before any fireworks.
Frequency: The
drug can be repeated as needed,
but not within 2 hours, because
you can't see what you already
will get. Most people
repeat after 8-12 hours if
needed.
Other Behavior Issues:
If your pet has behavior issues
in addition to noise phobia,
such as separation anxiety,
aggression, housesoiling, or
destruction, we now offer
behavior consultations to handle
and resolve these concerns.
Call the hospital to make an
appt.
