The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of acepromazine in the plasma of dogs]

Acepromazine is extensively used in veterinary practice. In dogs, it is used mainly as a preanaesthetic and sedative agent, without the knowledge of pharmacokinetic data in this species. We studied the disposition both after oral and intravenous administration. It was shown, that the sedative effect after an oral dose of 1.3-1.5 mg/kg lasted for about 4 hours. The elimination was slower after oral administration (half-life 15.9 h) than after i. v. injection (half-life 7.1 h). The bioavailability of the orally administered drug formulation averaged 20%. The calculation of the pharmacokinetic parameters was performed computer-aided, using conventional compartmental analysis and non-compartmental statistical moment analysis and the results were compared.