WARNING:  BEWARE OF USING ACE WITH AIREDALES

Dear Jubilee:

My dog is very fearful of thunder and fireworks. A friend has told me to tranquilize him with ACE. What would you do?

I don’t want my dog to be afraid

Dear Don't Want My Dog to be Afraid,

Most dogs hate loud noises, but some have a very difficult time with thunder and fireworks. I would try a 3 mg dose of melatonin ( for more information, please go to http://www.peoriahs.org/melatonin.html  and http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/melatonin.htm ). I also use Ttouches (http://tteam-ttouch.com/ttouch.htm) and therapeutic harp music (Sue Raimond, Pet Pause, 800-971-1044) to soothe and calm an anxious dog.

Here is an article about a personal experience with Ace and dogs:

Beware of Using Acepromzine (ACE) As A Tranquilizer
By Donna Noland

Beware of using Acepromzine (ACE) as a tranquilizer. I had a scary incident on the Fourth of July using it on my dogs.  And then remembered (MUCH too late) that this is the drug that I had been told that many, many Airedales are especially sensitive to, have a low tolerance for, and can even die if given it.

The vet I've been using out here in the country (versus my longtime vet back in the city) gave it to me when I requested something to calm the dogs for the fireworks that a neighbor sets off at every available opportunity, holiday or no.  I had been using a combination of Melatonin and Rescue Remedy that works pretty well, but I was preparing for a major onslaught from the Fourth of July.  The vet gave me 25 mg tablets.  The dosage for Walker was 1 1/2 tablets; for Dosi and Lola, one tablet each 45 minutes before I thought they'd need to be calm/asleep.  That's what I did.

After about 30 minutes, Lola and Walker were asleep or close to it.  Dosi was awake but a little groggy.  After an hour, as we went to the bedroom, everyone TRIED to follow as usual.  Dosi was ambulating fairly well...almost normally..and easily jumped to her spot on the loveseat.  Lola staggered and had to be helped to walk down the hall and had to be lifted to our bed.  Walker -- all 97 lbs of him -- COULD NOT MOVE.  It took John and I both to get him standing on his feet (very shakily) and walk him back to the bedroom where he immediately collapsed by the bed.  This was around 9 o'clock.  In the next few minutes, Dosi was feeling the full effects of the drug, tried to jump up on our bed, too, and got stuck with her front paws on the bed.......she couldn't move.  I had to help her.  As I was getting in the bed, I noticed a damp spot......hmmmm...nobody has wet feet.  Sniff, sniff.  OHMIGOODNESS.  Lola is leaking urine.  Folded up a towel and got it under her.  Turned off the light, my mind going 90 miles an hour.  20 minutes later, Walker is whining.  Turn on light, jump up.  He wants to turn over and can't.  No muscle control whatsoever.  Somehow I coaxed him up on his feet, walked him into the middle of the room where he collapsed once again, this time on his side.  I laid down beside him cupping him to me and feeling him breathe.  That's when I started thinking, "Uh oh.  I bet this is the stuff that you aren't supposed to give Airedales."

At 12:30 am, I replaced the towel under Lola which by now was soaked.  Folded another and put it under her (the damp had spread all the way down to the mattress by now).  Said a mighty prayer and went to sleep.  I didn't know what I would face in the morning.  I was lucky.  Everybody was fine, if a little hung over.  Everybody is still fine today.  But, they all could have DIED.  I am still feeling very, very guilty that I didn't remember what I'd been told.  So, please NO ACE for Airedales.  There are other things that can be used instead.  Don't take the risk.

Addendum From Jubilee: We had an equally frightening experience with ACE when it was used without our knowledge on a bitch we spayed. We were with her the entire time she was in the surgery, and we were there to wake her up and walk her out of the clinic to go home and recover. This time, our girl did not wake up the way we are accustomed to their waking up, and the vet was not at all concerned, said he has had dogs that didn't wake up for six hours. When she finally, after much prodding, lifted her head, the vet said she was fine and we could take her home. We had to take her out on a gurney. She was still acting heavily drugged at 6 pm, with her secondary eyelid covering her eyes and unable to stand. I called the vet, and he said that this was typical of all breeds, that she would be all right in the morning. She was, but we will never again permit ACE to be used on any of our dogs, and we have had that written on their records. There is another tranquilizer that can be used, one that has a complementary shot to reverse it – ask your vet about it if your dog ever has to be tranquilized before surgery.

Jubilee