Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid

2,078 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

2,078
adverse-event reports
43.3%
death-coded share
Cattle
most-reported species
561
Death - 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.
2,078
Total Reports
900
Deaths Reported
43.3%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid

Administration Routes

IntramuscularUnknownSubcutaneousIntravenousOralTopicalOtherParenteralIntra-ArterialIntradermal

Species Affected

Cattle 959
Horse 844
Unknown 115
Human 74
Pig 33
Cat 14
Donkey 12
Dog 8
Goat 6
Other Equids 4

Most Affected Breeds

Cattle (other) 336
Mixed (Cattle) 334
Quarter Horse 276
Unknown 191
Thoroughbred 153
Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein 139
Horse (unknown) 102
Warmblood (unspecified) 66
Aberdeen Angus 44
Paint 38

Most Reported Reactions

Death 561
Injection site swelling 464
Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS 340
Lack of efficacy - NOS 276
Injection site pain 234
Fever 159
Death by euthanasia 107
CULTURE/TITER DATA ABNORMAL 91
Colic 83
Injection site inflammation 79
INEFFECTIVE, ANTIBIOTIC 79
Residues in meat/offal 75

Outcome Breakdown

Died
779 (31.2%)
Outcome Unknown
750 (30.1%)
Recovered/Normal
410 (16.4%)
Ongoing
364 (14.6%)
Euthanized
136 (5.5%)
Recovered with Sequela
54 (2.2%)

Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid Adverse Event Insights

2,078 reports name Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid; 900 recorded a death outcome (43.3% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid. Administration routes: Intramuscular, Unknown, Subcutaneous, Intravenous.

By species: Cattle (959 reports), Horse (844 reports), Unknown (115 reports). By breed: Cattle (other) (336), Mixed (Cattle) (334), Quarter Horse (276).

Leading clinical signs: Death (561), Injection site swelling (464), Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS (340), Lack of efficacy - NOS (276). Outcome, 2,493 coded reports: Died leads at 31.2%.

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.