Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Ceftiofur

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

536
adverse-event reports
36.8%
death-coded share
Cattle
most-reported species
134
Injection site swelling - 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.
536
Total Reports
197
Deaths Reported
36.8%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Ceftiofur

Administration Routes

IntramuscularUnknownSubcutaneousIntravenousParenteralIntra-ArterialOralSubconjunctivalIntradermalOphthalmic

Species Affected

Cattle 223
Horse 198
Unknown 65
Human 23
Pig 14
Dog 8
Goat 3
Cat 2

Most Affected Breeds

Cattle (unknown) 96
Unknown 88
Quarter Horse 56
Horse (unknown) 41
Thoroughbred 41
Crossbred Bovine/Cattle 36
Cattle (other) 35
Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein 34
Horse (other) 14
Aberdeen Angus 11

Most Reported Reactions

Injection site swelling 134
Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS 114
Death 94
Injection site pain 63
Unclassifiable adverse event 52
DEATH-TREATMENT FAILURE 47
Fever 39
Injection site inflammation 33
Depression 29
Diarrhoea 28
Death by euthanasia 27
Lack of efficacy - NOS 27

Outcome Breakdown

Died
192 (68.6%)
Outcome Unknown
40 (14.3%)
Recovered/Normal
22 (7.9%)
Ongoing
13 (4.6%)
Euthanized
13 (4.6%)

Ceftiofur Adverse Event Insights

536 reports name Ceftiofur; 197 recorded a death outcome (36.8% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Ceftiofur. Administration routes: Intramuscular, Unknown, Subcutaneous, Intravenous.

By species: Cattle (223 reports), Horse (198 reports), Unknown (65 reports). By breed: Cattle (unknown) (96), Unknown (88), Quarter Horse (56).

Leading clinical signs: Injection site swelling (134), Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS (114), Death (94), Injection site pain (63). Outcome, 280 coded reports: Died leads at 68.6%.

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.