Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Cetirizine Hcl

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

266
adverse-event reports
7.5%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
38
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.
266
Total Reports
20
Deaths Reported
7.5%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Cetirizine Hcl

Administration Routes

UnknownOral

Species Affected

Dog 247
Cat 18
Horse 1

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 45
Retriever - Golden 11
Shepherd Dog - German 10
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 10
Shih Tzu 9
Bulldog - French 9
Bulldog 8
Terrier - Yorkshire 8
Boxer (German Boxer) 7
Terrier (unspecified) 7

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 38
Other abnormal test result NOS 35
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 33
INEFFECTIVE, LOSS OF EFFECT 27
Lack of efficacy - NOS 26
INEFFECTIVE, ATOPY CONTROL 21
Anorexia 20
Diarrhoea 19
Behavioural disorder NOS 19
Seizure NOS 14
PR-SKIN, LESION(S) 13
Dermal mass 13

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
166 (62.4%)
Outcome Unknown
42 (15.8%)
Recovered/Normal
38 (14.3%)
Euthanized
11 (4.1%)
Died
9 (3.4%)

Cetirizine Hcl Adverse Event Insights

266 reports name Cetirizine Hcl; 20 recorded a death outcome (7.5% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Cetirizine Hcl. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral.

By species: Dog (247 reports), Cat (18 reports), Horse (1 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (45), Retriever - Golden (11), Shepherd Dog - German (10).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (38), Other abnormal test result NOS (35), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (33), INEFFECTIVE, LOSS OF EFFECT (27). Outcome, 266 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 62.4%.

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.