 Barked: Fri Oct 7, '11 2:06pm PST |
 | |  | | Xanax is used for dogs so it has been confirmed to be safe. If I were to choose whether to give my dogs Xanax or Ace I would choose Xanax in a heartbeat. I have used Ace for my dogs for long car trips and it's not a pretty sight. They looked horrible. They couldn't keep their eyes open, keep their heads up or walk properly and the effects lasted a long time. I've also used it on a foster dog with anxiety and his reaction wasn't as extreme but he also looked pretty bad.
Since then I've learned more about acepromazine and based on what I learned it's not something I would give my dogs unless absolutely necessary. Although Ace is often called "doggie Xanax" it is not related to Xanax and does not have the same effect. In fact it's closely related to a human drug called Thorazine which is a psychotropic medication used to treat things like schizophrenia and psychosis. Humans that take Thorazine often stop taking it because of how bad it makes them feel. It turns them into zombies and gives them a host of side effects. With Ace being closely related to Thorazine it's reasonable to believe that the effects are very similar and based on what I've seen that seems to be the case. That is not something I would wish for my dogs to experience and I would avoid it if possible.
Xanax on the other hand is a benzodiazepine similar to valium and sleeping pills like restoril. It has sedating effects with few uncomfortable side effects. It normally just makes humans feel calm and very sleepy. Some people report feeling some euphoria when taking Xanax and although that's not the effects you're looking for it's a far more pleasant side effect than feeling like a zombie. I've taken Xanax myself and it just made me very sleepy. I didn't feel a least bit uncomfortable.
Of course dogs and humans are different and we may not experience drugs the same way but then again we are not that different and the way these drugs work on a human and dog brain is pretty similar. So, based on that, I would choose Xanax if I had to sedate my dogs.
Whether or not you can use human Xanax on dogs the answer is yes. Xanax is Xanax. In fact I'm quite sure that the Xanax that is used for dogs is the exact same thing as what is used on humans. However, the problem, in my opinion, is using the Xanax without the cooperation of your vet. It's a very heavy duty drug and I wouldn't mess with it on my own. You don't want to risk overdosing your dog. If your dog takes any other medication or has any kind of health problems giving Xanax could be harmful. You should also know that giving Xanax that was prescribed to you to anyone else, including your dog, is illegal since Xanax is a controlled substance.
I would recommend that you call your vet and ask if you can get a script for a few Xanax pills or at least talk to the vet about giving your dog your Xanax. She/he probably won't condone it though since it's a controlled substance.
I don't recommend that you do it but if you do decide to use your Xanax anyway the dog dosage is 0.01-0.05mg per pound. So a 70lbs dog would take between 0.7mg to 3.5mg. I would give a low dose. It should not be given more often than 12 hours apart. It takes about 30-60 minutes to take effect. |  |  | |  |
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