For your horse, that is. I've noticed that sedatives vary in the degree of sedation, the length of sedation, and other properties. As a yearling, Riley was having a snit when I tried to braid him, and acepromazine did nothing. Ace was more effective for post-stall rest handwalking/turnout, but in the face of a newly stimulating environment you could see him "fight through it." Someone told me that it basically just lowers your horse's blood pressure (this may be a bit oversimplified).
Enter Xylazine, my new best friendI scored some Xylazine (Rompun) for bandaging Riley's hoof after his surgery. It worked much better as far as sedation, producing a mellow, lightly dozing horse. Compared to Ace, it's short-acting and it affects coordination more.
There are pros and cons to both of these drugs, and of course there are many more to choose from. Your vet is the one to make the call about any medication. For laymen such as ourselves, though, it's good to have a basic understanding of what commonly used drugs are like. Here is a comparison of Ace and Xylazine drawn from resources at the bottom of this page...
Xylazine/Rompun
- Administration: Can be administered IV, subcutaneous, or IM. IV administration takes effect in 3-5 minutes, while IM takes about 20 minutes.
- Uses: it is an alpha-two agonist that induces moderate sedation, muscle relaxation, and analgesia. The analgesic effect is shorter lived than the sedative effect.
- Dose info: Increasing the dose does not increase the sedation but can increase the duration.
- Duration: 30-40 minutes.
- Side effects
- Can cause body incoordination.
- In higher doses, it may cause slight muscle tremors, heart rate slowness/decreased output, and reduced respiratory rate.
- Blood pressure may rise temporarily and then lower.
- Causes increased urine production
- Horses may still react to auditory stimuli. Movement in response to sharp auditory stimuli may be observed.
- Has a negative effect on gastrointestinal motility depending on the dose and frequency used.
- Cautions
- Accidental exposure to a single drop of xylazine can result in respiratory arrest in humans Avoid contact with mouth and eyes.
- Use with care in old horses, horses that are in shock, or dehydrated, or that have heart issues.
Acepromazine
- Administration: IV, subcutaneous, or IM, 20-30 minutes to take effect in either case. Oral administration requires 45 mintes to take effect and results may be inconsistent.
- Use: mild sedation, no analgesia. In small animals, used for its anti-anxiety properties.
- Dose info: Increasing the dose increases the sedative effect, but sedation is light and animal can be easily aroused.
- Duration: 4-6 hours
- Side effects
- Lowered blood pressure
- Causes a drop in red blood cells
- May heighten perception of loud noises
- Sweating, trembling
- Cautions
- Occasionally it will have no sedative effect; increased dose just causes hypotension
- May lower the threshhold to seizures
- May cause hallucination and restlessness
- May cause penile prolapse
- Use with caution on horses that are: older; shocky; anemic; dehydrated horses; or horses that have recently lost blood/hemorrhage
- Can have antiarrhythmic effects
- Can impair swallowing ability and can diminish gut motility
- Do not use on boxer dogs (heart, breathing problems)
I learned a great deal just reading the articles I found via Google, and one thing I learned is that sedatives must be selected with the individual horse in mind -- age, sickness, desired sedation and a lot of other factors have to be considered. The disclaimer, of course, is that your VET is the person to consult about sedating your horse. Only a vet can provide information on safe administration for your horse.
RESOURCESManual of Equine Practice By Reuben J. Rose, David R. Hodgson, section on Xylazine and AcepromazineHuman Health Concerns When Working With Medications Around Horses, publication of the gov't of Ontario
Moving experiences: Unprepared ship is ship of fools from Horses and Horse Information
Chemical restraint from Oklahoma State University
Animal Health Website of Rompun
(the company)
Acepromazine from Wikipedia
Acepromazine from Myhorse.com
Acepromazine from Dr. Foster and Smith Pharmacy
For your horse, that is. I've noticed that sedatives vary in the degree of sedation, the length of sedation, and other properties. As a yearling, Riley was having a snit when I tried to braid him, and acepromazine did nothing. Ace was more effective for post-stall rest handwalking/turnout, but in the face of a newly stimulating environment you could see him "fight through it." Someone told me that it basically just lowers your horse's blood pressure (this may be a bit oversimplified).
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