Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Cefazolin

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

502
adverse-event reports
37.8%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
99
Vomiting - 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.
502
Total Reports
190
Deaths Reported
37.8%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Cefazolin

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousParenteralSubcutaneousIntramuscularOtherOralOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 399
Cat 101
Horse 1
Unknown 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 62
Retriever - Labrador 59
Crossbred Canine/dog 28
Retriever - Golden 17
Boxer (German Boxer) 15
Bulldog 12
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 12
Terrier - Yorkshire 11
Dog (unknown) 10
Rottweiler 9

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 99
Death 96
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 91
Other abnormal test result NOS 91
Death by euthanasia 88
Anorexia 81
Not eating 68
Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 48
Fever 48
Weight loss 46
Hypothermia 46
Leucocytosis NOS 45

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
127 (25.0%)
Ongoing
113 (22.2%)
Died
104 (20.5%)
Euthanized
87 (17.1%)
Outcome Unknown
72 (14.2%)
Recovered with Sequela
5 (1.0%)

Cefazolin Adverse Event Insights

502 reports name Cefazolin; 190 recorded a death outcome (37.8% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Cefazolin. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Parenteral, Subcutaneous.

By species: Dog (399 reports), Cat (101 reports), Horse (1 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (62), Retriever - Labrador (59), Crossbred Canine/dog (28).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (99), Death (96), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (91), Other abnormal test result NOS (91). Outcome, 508 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 25.0%.

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.