Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Chlorhexidine Digluconate

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

116
adverse-event reports
4.3%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
30
Application site erythema - 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.
116
Total Reports
5
Deaths Reported
4.3%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Chlorhexidine Digluconate

Administration Routes

TopicalUnknownOphthalmicOral

Species Affected

Dog 98
Cat 13
Human 5

Most Affected Breeds

Crossbred Canine/dog 18
Dog (unknown) 11
Retriever - Labrador 9
Unknown 6
Cat (unknown) 6
Mixed (Dog) 5
Chihuahua 5
Domestic Shorthair 4
Shih Tzu 4
Retriever - Golden 3

Most Reported Reactions

Application site erythema 30
Application site pruritus 11
Application site irritation 11
Application site hair change 7
Application site pain 6
Lack of efficacy - NOS 5
Application site reddening 5
Application site inflammation 5
Vomiting 4
Drooling 4
Licking at application site 4
Panting 4

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
57 (49.1%)
Recovered/Normal
37 (31.9%)
Outcome Unknown
17 (14.7%)
Died
3 (2.6%)
Euthanized
2 (1.7%)

Chlorhexidine Digluconate Adverse Event Insights

116 reports name Chlorhexidine Digluconate; 5 recorded a death outcome (4.3% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Chlorhexidine Digluconate. Administration routes: Topical, Unknown, Ophthalmic, Oral.

By species: Dog (98 reports), Cat (13 reports), Human (5 reports). By breed: Crossbred Canine/dog (18), Dog (unknown) (11), Retriever - Labrador (9).

Leading clinical signs: Application site erythema (30), Application site pruritus (11), Application site irritation (11), Application site hair change (7). Outcome, 116 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 49.1%.

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.