Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Antibiotic

843 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Antibiotic. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

843
adverse-event reports
21.2%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
187
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') - top reaction
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Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
843
Total Reports
179
Deaths Reported
21.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Antibiotic

Administration Routes

UnknownOralTopicalOphthalmicIntravenousSubcutaneousAuricular (Otic)ParenteralOther

Species Affected

Dog 692
Cat 147
Rabbit 2
Horse 1
Cattle 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 88
Retriever - Labrador 80
Dog (unknown) 30
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 30
Retriever - Golden 29
Shepherd Dog - German 29
Crossbred Canine/dog 25
Chihuahua 25
Terrier - Yorkshire 23
Shih Tzu 22

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 187
Vomiting 160
Anorexia 120
Other abnormal test result NOS 95
Death by euthanasia 90
Death 84
Lack of efficacy - NOS 72
Diarrhoea 70
Weight loss 60
Seizure NOS 57
Abnormal radiograph finding 54
Fever 52

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
377 (44.7%)
Outcome Unknown
180 (21.4%)
Recovered/Normal
103 (12.2%)
Euthanized
90 (10.7%)
Died
89 (10.6%)
Recovered with Sequela
4 (0.5%)

Antibiotic Adverse Event Insights

843 reports name Antibiotic; 179 recorded a death outcome (21.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Antibiotic. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral, Topical, Ophthalmic.

By species: Dog (692 reports), Cat (147 reports), Rabbit (2 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (88), Retriever - Labrador (80), Dog (unknown) (30).

Leading clinical signs: Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (187), Vomiting (160), Anorexia (120), Other abnormal test result NOS (95). Outcome, 843 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 44.7%.

Read these counts as reporting volume, not risk: per our methodology, a widely-prescribed drug will rack up more raw FDA reports in a given year than a rarely-used one at an identical true rate, so we recommend comparing within similar-exposure products rather than across the full 2025 catalog.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (CVM AER) · 2025

Every figure on PlainBreed is rendered directly from FDA openFDA adverse event data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FDA openFDA data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.