Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Chlorhexidine Gluconate

67 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Chlorhexidine Gluconate. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#953 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
67
adverse-event reports
9.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Chlorhexidine Gluconate ranks #952 of 2679 by total reports (67) and #599 of 1130 by death-coded share (9.0%). National dual: Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad is #1 of 2679 drugs by total adverse-event reports (149,624) at death-coded-share rank 965 of 1130 drugs with at least 50 reports (2.3%); separately, Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) is #1 highest death-coded share at 97.8% (report rank #821).

149,624
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad reports (#1)
97.8%
Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) death share (#1)
#952
This drug, reports of 2679
#599
This drug, death share of 1130

Report volume reflects how common a breed or drug is and how often owners and vets file — not actual risk. Death-coded share ranks are limited to entries with enough reports to be meaningful. The two maps do not agree at #1.

Release-over-release change

What changed in the latest FDA data snapshot

PlainBreed reconstructed the prior snapshot from dated openFDA partitions through 2025 Q4, then compared it with the 2026-07-27 openFDA export. Chlorhexidine Gluconate has 67 reports now versus 66 in that prior snapshot: 1 more (1.5%).

Report change
+1
Death-coded reports
+0
Death-coded share
−0.1 pts

This compares reported-event counts in two source snapshots. It does not establish a change in real-world risk, product safety, or disease incidence.

Subscribe to Chlorhexidine Gluconate changes

Signature read: report volume at 67 is the most distinctive stamp on Chlorhexidine Gluconate's FDA AER row.

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
67
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
9.0%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Chlorhexidine Gluconate

Administration Routes

TopicalUnknownAuricular (Otic)OralCutaneous

Species Affected

Dog 53
Cat 14

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 10
Retriever - Labrador 5
Retriever - Golden 4
Bulldog 4
Shih Tzu 4
Maltese 3
Schnauzer - Miniature 3
Siamese 2
Boxer (German Boxer) 2
Saint Bernard Dog 2

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 17
Vomiting 9
Lack of efficacy - NOS 8
Anorexia 7
Behavioural disorder NOS 6
Diarrhoea 6
Weight loss 4
Other abnormal test result NOS 4
Decreased appetite 4
INEFFECTIVE, ATOPY CONTROL 4
Not eating 4
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 4

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
30 (44.8%)
Recovered/Normal
16 (23.9%)
Outcome Unknown
13 (19.4%)
Died
4 (6.0%)
Recovered with Sequela
2 (3.0%)
Euthanized
2 (3.0%)

Chlorhexidine Gluconate Adverse Event Insights

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.

Nationwide drugs with similar profiles

Two openFDA-derived peer sets for Chlorhexidine Gluconate, both floored at ≥50 reports so the neighborhoods stay in the advertised mass.

What to do with this drug

  • Compare Chlorhexidine Gluconate's report volume and death-coded share against similar drugs nationwide. See similar drugs
  • Read how death-coded share differs from a mortality rate before drawing conclusions. Understanding adverse events
  • Browse the full drug directory to compare report counts across products. All drugs

A report does not prove a drug caused the reaction; consult a veterinarian before acting on this data.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (CVM AER) · 2025

openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (FDA CVM) for Chlorhexidine Gluconate (#953 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 9.0%. PlainBreed drug row · report volume stamp 67 · vintage 2025.

Informational only. FDA adverse-event reports are voluntary and do not prove causation; consult a veterinarian before acting on them. Verify with FDA CVM →