Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Chemotherapy

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

36
adverse-event reports
22.2%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
6
Diarrhoea - 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.
36
Total Reports
8
Deaths Reported
22.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Chemotherapy

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousOral

Species Affected

Dog 28
Cat 7
Human 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 5
Dog (unknown) 4
Retriever - Golden 3
Retriever - Labrador 3
Mixed (Dog) 1
Schnauzer (unspecified) 1
Crossbred Canine/dog 1
Maltese 1
Spaniel - Springer English 1
Basset - Griffon Vendeen Small 1

Most Reported Reactions

Diarrhoea 6
Vomiting 6
Death by euthanasia 6
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 4
Lack of efficacy - NOS 4
Decreased appetite 3
Death 2
Neoplasia NOS 2
Underdose 2
Stroke 2
Swollen limb 2
Ataxia 2

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
14 (38.9%)
Ongoing
9 (25.0%)
Euthanized
6 (16.7%)
Recovered/Normal
5 (13.9%)
Died
2 (5.6%)

Chemotherapy Adverse Event Insights

36 reports name Chemotherapy; 8 recorded a death outcome (22.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Chemotherapy. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Oral.

By species: Dog (28 reports), Cat (7 reports), Human (1 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (5), Dog (unknown) (4), Retriever - Golden (3).

Leading clinical signs: Diarrhoea (6), Vomiting (6), Death by euthanasia (6), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) (4). Outcome, 36 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 38.9%.

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.