Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Betamethasone

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

16
adverse-event reports
12.5%
death-coded share
Horse
most-reported species
4
Polyuria - 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.
16
Total Reports
2
Deaths Reported
12.5%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Betamethasone

Administration Routes

Intra-ArticularUnknownSubcutaneous

Species Affected

Horse 10
Dog 3
Cat 2
Other 1

Most Affected Breeds

Quarter Horse 2
Horse (unknown) 2
Domestic Shorthair 2
Shih Tzu 2
Trakehner 2
Pinto 1
Paint 1
Warmblood - Dutch 1
Terrier - Jack Russell 1
Unknown 1

Most Reported Reactions

Polyuria 4
Hives (see also Skin) 4
Colic 3
Polydipsia 3
Not eating 3
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 3
Elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 3
Elevated creatine-kinase (CK) 3
Swollen limb 2
Vomiting bile 2
Leucopenia NOS 2
Abscess NOS 2

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
6 (37.5%)
Outcome Unknown
4 (25.0%)
Ongoing
4 (25.0%)
Euthanized
2 (12.5%)

Betamethasone Adverse Event Insights

16 reports name Betamethasone; 2 recorded a death outcome (12.5% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Betamethasone. Administration routes: Intra-Articular, Unknown, Subcutaneous.

By species: Horse (10 reports), Dog (3 reports), Cat (2 reports). By breed: Quarter Horse (2), Horse (unknown) (2), Domestic Shorthair (2).

Leading clinical signs: Polyuria (4), Hives (see also Skin) (4), Colic (3), Polydipsia (3). Outcome, 16 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 37.5%.

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.