Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How well diphenhydramine sedates dogs compared to acepromazine
By Hofmeister, Erik H & Egger, Christine M·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2005·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of diphenhydramine as a sedative for dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study involving 56 dogs tested the effectiveness of diphenhydramine, a common allergy medication, as a sedative. The dogs were given either diphenhydramine, a saline solution, or acepromazine, another sedative, and their levels of sedation were observed. The results showed that acepromazine provided significantly better sedation compared to diphenhydramine and saline. In fact, diphenhydramine did not produce noticeable sedation in healthy dogs, suggesting it is not a good choice for calming dogs before surgery.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare levels of sedation achieved by IM administration of diphenhydramine, saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, and acepromazine in dogs. DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. ANIMALS: 56 dogs. PROCEDURE: Dogs were randomly assigned to receive diphenhydramine at 2, 4, or 8 mg/kg (0.9, 1.8, or 3.6 mg/lb, respectively) i.m.; acepromazine at 0.1 mg/kg (0.05 mg/lb) i.m.; or saline solution at 0.05 mL/kg (0.02 mL/lb) i.m. Sedation was assessed by use of a 6-category descriptive system based on observation and interaction. RESULTS: Dogs in the acepromazine group had significantly higher sedation scores than did dogs in the saline solution or diphenhydramine groups at 30 minutes. Dogs in the diphenhydramine groups did not have significantly different sedation scores from dogs in the saline solution group at any time point. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Diphenhydramine did not cause clinically appreciable sedation in healthy dogs. Diphenhydramine is not suitable as a sole sedative prior to general anesthesia in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15825733/