Tranquilizing before grooming

Question
I have just inherited a 12yr old, 11 1/2 lb cat that is rather high strung.  I want to have her groomed & nails clipped but don't want to tramatize her any more than necessary.  I have a 10mg tablet of Acepromazine that the vet prescribed before flying with her (I was given 2 tablets in case there were flight deleys, etc.).  Can I safely give her the tablet (or a portion of it) before taking her to the groomer?  

Answer
Hello Linda,
I am not a vet, so I cannot give specific medical advice.  What I can do, is tell you what I have experienced in almost 20 years in the grooming end of it, and working with animals that are tranquilized.  In my experience, I have found that many animals, dogs as well as cats are WORSE after being tranquilized, and it seems that ACE is a prime example.  I don't know the effects of the drug, maybe they see tracers, or hear magnified or distorted sound, who knows?  It just seems that some animals become even more easily startled.  The best thing to do is check with your groomer to see what kind of experience they have  had with Ace, and like products.  Other options are natural calmants like Rescue Remedy.  Many rescue groups use this successfully.  There are others on the market that offer a natural solution instead of chemical one.  Of course, if your cat does actually do better with Ace, then by all means let the groomer know. As far as the dosage, you might want to check with the her vet, especially given her age and weight.
Hoping this has been helpful, and that your cat will have a successful, pleasant trip to the day spa!