Tranquinervin 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Horses

Acepromazine

Last verified

Veterinary medicinal product: solution for injection. Distribution category: POM-V (Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, Schedule 3). Active substance: Acepromazine.1

In short: questions and answers

Does Tranquinervin 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Horses need a prescription?
Prescription only. As stated in the registration decision.1
Which animals is Tranquinervin 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Horses for?
Horses.1
What is the active substance in Tranquinervin 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Horses?
Acepromazine. ATCvet code: QN05AA04.13
What is the withdrawal period of Tranquinervin 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Horses according to the leaflet?
No withdrawal period is set for this drug: it is not intended for food-producing animals.3
Dispensing
Prescription only1

POM-V: Prescription Only Medicine - Veterinarian. Supplied only on a prescription written by a veterinary surgeon who has assessed the animal.12

Supplied only on a veterinarian's prescription. As stated in the registration decision.

Animal species
Horses1
Active substance
Acepromazine
ATCvet code
QN05AA043
Manufacturer
Marketing authorisation holder: Le Vet Beheer B.V.

Withdrawal period

No withdrawal period is set for this drug: it is not intended for food-producing animals.3

Summary of product characteristics

Composition

Each ml contains:

Active substance:

Acepromazine 10 mg

(equivalent to 13.55 mg acepromazine maleate)

Excipients:

Qualitative composition of excipients and other constituentsQuantitative composition if that information is essential for proper administration of the veterinary medicinal product
Phenol3.0 mg
Sodium hydroxide (for pH adjustment)
Maleic acid (for pH adjustment)
Water for injections

Clear yellow to orange solution.

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Pharmacological properties

4.1 ATCvet code:

QN05AA04

4.2 Pharmacodynamics

Acepromazine is a phenothiazine. It is a central nervous system depressant with associated activity on the autonomic system. Phenothiazines have a central action due to inhibition of dopamine pathways, resulting in alteration of mood, reduction in fear and removal of learned or conditioned responses.

Acepromazine possesses anti-emetic, hypothermic, vasodilatory (and therefore hypotensive) and anti-spasmodic properties.

4.3 Pharmacokinetics

The length of action of acepromazine appears to be prolonged and to be dose dependent.

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Target species

Horses.

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Indications

Anaesthetic Premedication: Following acepromazine administration, the amount of anaesthetic necessary to induce anaesthesia is considerably reduced.

Tranquilisation: Acepromazine tranquilisation (ataraxy) involves a modification of temperament which is not associated with hypnosis, narcosis or marked sedation. This is achieved with low doses of acepromazine. At low doses, acepromazine reduces anxiety which is beneficial for use in horses prior to shoeing or transportation.

Sedation: At higher dose rates acepromazine is an effective sedative, as an adjunct to, or replacement for, physical restraint e.g. dentistry, handling and shoeing. The relaxant effects aid examination of the penis in horses and the treatment of tetanus and choke.

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Dosage

Intramuscular or intravenous use. In case of intravenous use, it is recommended the injection is made slowly.

0.03−0.10 mg acepromazine per kg bodyweight, equivalent to 0.15−0.5 ml veterinary medicinal product per 50 kg bodyweight.

To ensure a correct dosage, body weight should be determined as accurately as possible.

Normally, single doses of acepromazine are administered. Long term use is not recommended. On the rare occasions that repeat dosing is required, the dosing interval should be 36−48 hours.

Take adequate precautions to maintain sterility. Avoid the introduction of contamination during use. Should any apparent growth or discolouration occur, discard the veterinary medicinal product.

The maximum number of vial punctures when using needle sizes of 21G and 23G should not exceed 100 and when using a 18G needle, the maximum should not exceed 40.

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Contraindications

Do not use in pregnant mares.

Do not use in animals in existing severe emotional excitation.

Do not use in cases of hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients. Do not administer to breeding stallions. See section 3.6.

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Adverse reactions

Horses:

FrequencyAdverse events
Very common (>1 animal / 10 animals treated)Decreased haematocrit; Penile prolapseᵃ,ᶜ
Common (1 to 10 animals / 100 animals treated)Hypotension
Uncommon (1 to 10 animals / 1,000 animals treated)Paraphimosisᵇ,ᶜ
Very rare (<1 animal / 10,000 animals treated, including isolated reports)Penile disorderᵇ,ᶜ; Convulsionᵈ; Deathᵈ
Undetermined frequency (cannot be estimated from the available data)Priapismᵇ,ᶜ; Disorientationᵈ

ᵃ Reversible paralysis of the retractor penis muscle.

ᵇ Paraphimosis can sometimes occur as a sequel to priapism, however this only very rarely results in permanent penile dysfunction.

ᶜ 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 e.g. manual compression during the period of general anaesthesia, penile support and manual compression, use of an Esmarch bandage, or drug reversal (e.g. slow intravenous administration of benztropine mesylate).

ᵈ Can occur after accidental intracarotid injection.

Reporting adverse events is important. It allows continuous safety monitoring of a veterinary medicinal product. Reports should be sent, preferably via a veterinarian, to either the marketing authorisation holder or its local representative or the national competent authority via the national reporting system. See the package leaflet for respective contact details.

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Warnings

Special precautions for safe use in the target species:

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

When administered to male horses (geldings or non-breeding stallions), use the lowest dose recommended to produce the required effect.

Acepromazine may cause hypothermia due to depression of the thermoregulatory centre and peripheral vasodilation.

Acepromazine is an adrenoceptor blocking drug and this causes hypotension and lowered haematocrit. The veterinary medicinal 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.

Duration of action may be prolonged and this should be remembered when riding, as acepromazine may affect performance and appear in drug tests for some time.

Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal product to animals

This veterinary medicinal product contains a potent sedative; care should be taken, when handling and administering the veterinary medicinal product, to avoid accidental self- exposure.

In case of accidental self-injection, seek medical advice immediately and show the package leaflet or the label to the physician but DO NOT DRIVE as sedation and changes in blood pressure may occur. Symptomatic treatment may be required.

If accidental eye contamination occurs, flush gently with fresh running water for 15 minutes. Medical advice should be sought if irritation persists.

In the event of accidental skin contamination, contaminated clothing should be removed and the area washed with large amounts of soap and water. Medical advice should be sought if irritation persists.

Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after use.

Special precautions for the protection of the environment:

Not applicable.

3.11 Special restrictions for use and special conditions for use, including restrictions on the use of antimicrobial and antiparasitic veterinary medicinal products in order to limit the risk of development of resistance

Not applicable.

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Use during pregnancy, lactation or lay

The safety of the veterinary medicinal product has not been established during pregnancy or lactation.

Pregnancy:

Do not use (during the whole or part of the pregnancy).

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Interactions

Phenothiazines are additive to the actions of other CNS depressants and will potentiate general anaesthesia (see section 3.2, indications for use).

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

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Overdose

Transient dose-dependent hypotension may occur in cases of accidental overdose. Therapy should consist of discontinuing any other hypotensive treatment, supportive care such as intravenous infusion of warm isotonic saline to correct hypotension and close monitoring. In severe cases treatment with norepinephrine may be indicated but its use must be based on a careful evaluation of the benefit risk balance by the responsible veterinary surgeon.

Epinephrine (adrenaline) is contra-indicated in the treatment of acute hypotension produced by overdosage of acepromazine maleate, since further depression of systemic blood pressure can result.

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Special warnings

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.

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Withdrawal period

The veterinary medicinal product is not authorised for use in horses intended for human consumption.

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Incompatibilities

In the absence of compatibility studies, this veterinary medicinal product must not be mixed with other veterinary medicinal products.

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Immediate packaging

Clear type I glass vials closed with a coated bromobutyl rubber stopper and aluminium cap in a carton box.

Pack sizes: 10 ml, 20 ml, and 100 ml.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

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Storage

Keep the vial in the outer carton in order to protect from light.

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Shelf life

Shelf life of the veterinary medicinal product as packaged for sale: 30 months. Shelf life after first opening the immediate packaging: 56 days.

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Disposal of unused product

Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste.

Use take-back schemes for the disposal of any unused veterinary medicinal product or waste materials derived thereof in accordance with local requirements and with any national collection systems applicable to the veterinary medicinal product concerned.

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Additional information

Vm 41821/4054

8 DATE OF FIRST AUTHORISATION

09 April 2018

9 DATE OF THE LAST REVISION OF THE SUMMARY OF THE PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

December 2024

10 CLASSIFICATION OF VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCT

Veterinary medicinal product subject to prescription.

Find more product information by searching for the ‘Product Information Database’ on www.gov.uk.

Gavin Hall Approved: 21 August 2025

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Registration holder

Le Vet Beheer B.V.

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Regulations

Sources

  1. VMD Product Information Database: Tranquinervin 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Horses, 41821/4054 UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate (OGL v3.0), checked 2026-10-04 archived copy from 2026-10-04
  2. The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, Schedule 3 (categories of veterinary medicinal products) UK Government, legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-10-04 archived copy from 2026-10-04
  3. Summary of Product Characteristics: Tranquinervin 10 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Horses UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate, SPC of the marketing authorisation holder, checked 2026-10-04 archived copy from 2026-10-04

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