Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Chlorhexidine Diacetate

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

14
adverse-event reports
7.1%
death-coded share
Unknown
most-reported species
2
Product Defect, General - top reaction
Verify with FDA CVM →
Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
14
Total Reports
1
Deaths Reported
7.1%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Chlorhexidine Diacetate

Administration Routes

TopicalUnknown

Species Affected

Unknown 5
Dog 4
Cat 3
Cattle 2

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 5
Domestic Shorthair 2
Siberian Husky 2
Griffon (unspecified) 1
Cattle (other) 1
Terrier - West Highland White 1
Cattle (unknown) 1
Cat (other) 1

Most Reported Reactions

Product Defect, General 2
Seal, Abnormal 2
Containers, Leaking 2
Decreased appetite 2
Vomiting 2
Contamination, Mold 1
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 1
Listless 1
Trembling 1
Localised oedema (not application site) 1
Containers, Abnormal 1
Caps, Abnormal 1

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
5 (55.6%)
Ongoing
3 (33.3%)
Euthanized
1 (11.1%)

Chlorhexidine Diacetate Adverse Event Insights

14 reports name Chlorhexidine Diacetate; 1 recorded a death outcome (7.1% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Chlorhexidine Diacetate. Administration routes: Topical, Unknown.

By species: Unknown (5 reports), Dog (4 reports), Cat (3 reports). By breed: Unknown (5), Domestic Shorthair (2), Siberian Husky (2).

Leading clinical signs: Product Defect, General (2), Seal, Abnormal (2), Containers, Leaking (2), Decreased appetite (2). Outcome, 9 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 55.6%.

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.