Take adequate precautions to maintain sterility.

Do not administer to horses intended for human consumption.

Do not administer to breeding stallions. Paralysis of the retractor penis muscle has been associated with the use of parenterally administered acepromazine in horses.

Acepromazine has caused paraphimosis sometimes as a sequel to priapism. When extrusion of the penis occurs, the owner should be advised to inform his veterinary surgeon if retraction of the penis does not take place within 2–3 hours. Suitable treatments have been described in the veterinary literature (see Further Information). When administered to male horses (geldings or stallions), use the lowest dose recommended to produce the required effect.

Do not administer to pregnant mares.

Do not use this product in conjunction with organophosphates and/or procaine hydrochloride, as it may enhance activity and potential toxicity.

Acepromazine is an adrenoceptor blocking drug and this causes hypotension and lowered p.c.v. The product should therefore be administered with great caution and at low dose rates only to debilitated horses and animals in states of hypovolaemia, anaemia and shock, or with cardiovascular disease. Rehydration should precede acepromazine administration. Acepromazine has little, if any analgesic effect so that painful procedures must be avoided, particularly where animals are known to have unpredictable temperaments. Therefore the usual precautions should be maintained when handling sedated horses.

During sedation, horses will normally retain visual and auditory acuity so that loud sounds and rapid movements may cause arousal from the sedated state. It is therefore important to keep treated horses in a quiet environment and avoid sensory stimulation as far as possible.

Tranquillisers are additive to the actions of other depressants, and will potentiate general anaesthesia.

Situations may arise where general anaesthesia is required in the 4–6 hours following use of the product. In such cases, care should be taken to reduce the induction dose of other premedicants and anaesthetic agents, particularly parenteral barbiturates, so as to avoid potentiation and additive depressant effects.

Slow intravenous injection of norepinephrine (noradrenaline) should be used whenever a hypertensive agent is required to reverse any fall in blood pressure.

Epinephrine (adrenaline) is contra-indicated in the treatment of acute hypotension produced by over-dosage of acepromazine maleate, since further depression of systemic blood pressure can result. Other pressoramines such as norepinephrine or neosynephrine should be administered to reverse hypotensive effects. However, the reversing effect of norepinephrine is likely to be transient and repeated doses will normally be required.

Accidental intracarotid injection in horses can produce clinical signs ranging from disorientation to convulsive seizures and death.

Horses should not in any circumstances be ridden within 36 hours of administration of a clinical dose.

For animal treatment only.

In the event of accidental skin contamination, contaminated clothing should be removed and the area washed with copious amounts of soap and water. Medical advice should be sought if irritation persists. In the event of accidental eye contamination, the eye should be flushed with water for at least 25 minutes, holding the eye open. Medical advice should be sought if any irritation or discomfort persists. Care should be taken to avoid exposure.

N.B. Take precautions to avoid accidental injection or self-administration of this potent drug. Should accidental injection occur, seek medical advice immediately. Symptomatic treatment may be necessary.