Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Codeine

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

65
adverse-event reports
27.7%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
11
Vomiting - 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.
65
Total Reports
18
Deaths Reported
27.7%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Codeine

Administration Routes

UnknownOral

Species Affected

Dog 63
Human 2

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 13
Shepherd Dog - Australian 5
Terrier (unspecified) 3
Retriever - Golden 3
Dachshund (unspecified) 3
Spaniel - King Charles Cavalier 3
Boxer (German Boxer) 3
Saint Bernard Dog 3
Pug 2
Unknown 2

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 11
Death by euthanasia 11
Diarrhoea 10
Decreased appetite 9
Pain NOS 9
Abnormal ultrasound finding 8
Panting 8
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 8
Death 7
Lack of efficacy - NOS 7
Restlessness 6
Hypoalbuminaemia 6

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
22 (33.8%)
Outcome Unknown
16 (24.6%)
Euthanized
11 (16.9%)
Recovered/Normal
8 (12.3%)
Died
7 (10.8%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (1.5%)

Codeine Adverse Event Insights

65 reports name Codeine; 18 recorded a death outcome (27.7% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Codeine. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral.

By species: Dog (63 reports), Human (2 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (13), Shepherd Dog - Australian (5), Terrier (unspecified) (3).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (11), Death by euthanasia (11), Diarrhoea (10), Decreased appetite (9). Outcome, 65 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 33.8%.

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.