Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Chlortetracycline

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

74
adverse-event reports
43.2%
death-coded share
Cattle
most-reported species
27
Death - 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.
74
Total Reports
32
Deaths Reported
43.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Chlortetracycline

Administration Routes

OralUnknownTopical

Species Affected

Cattle 28
Unknown 22
Pig 18
Sheep 2
Horse 2
Other Birds 1
Turkey 1

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 23
Mixed (Cattle) 10
Cattle (unknown) 9
Pig (unknown) 8
Crossbred Porcine/Pig 6
Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein 3
Cattle (other) 2
Horse (unknown) 2
Pig (other) 2
Crossbred Bovine/Cattle 1

Most Reported Reactions

Death 27
Lack of efficacy - NOS 8
Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS 7
Lameness 5
NT - Abnormal necropsy finding NOS 5
Potency, Low 5
Necropsy performed 5
Granules/Powder, Abnormal 4
Accidental exposure 4
Anorexia 4
Vocalisation 4
Death by euthanasia 3

Outcome Breakdown

Died
30 (42.3%)
Outcome Unknown
24 (33.8%)
Recovered/Normal
7 (9.9%)
Euthanized
5 (7.0%)
Ongoing
4 (5.6%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (1.4%)

Chlortetracycline Adverse Event Insights

74 reports name Chlortetracycline; 32 recorded a death outcome (43.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Chlortetracycline. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown, Topical.

By species: Cattle (28 reports), Unknown (22 reports), Pig (18 reports). By breed: Unknown (23), Mixed (Cattle) (10), Cattle (unknown) (9).

Leading clinical signs: Death (27), Lack of efficacy - NOS (8), Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS (7), Lameness (5). Outcome, 71 coded reports: Died leads at 42.3%.

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.