Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Cortisone

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

72
adverse-event reports
15.3%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
9
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.
72
Total Reports
11
Deaths Reported
15.3%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Cortisone

Administration Routes

UnknownTopicalParenteralSubcutaneousOphthalmicOralIntramuscularAuricular (Otic)

Species Affected

Dog 47
Cat 23
Horse 2

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 14
Retriever - Labrador 6
Domestic Mediumhair 5
Chihuahua 4
Domestic Longhair 3
Terrier (unspecified) 3
Shiba Inu 3
Papillon - Spaniel - Continental Toy (with erect ears or with dropped ears (Phaléne)) 2
Spitz (unspecified) 2
Shepherd Dog - German 2

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 9
Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea 8
Death 8
Behavioural disorder NOS 6
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 6
Lack of efficacy - NOS 5
Weight loss 5
Other abnormal test result NOS 5
Vocalisation 5
Diarrhoea 4
Skin lesion NOS 4
Application site alopecia 4

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
26 (36.1%)
Recovered/Normal
19 (26.4%)
Outcome Unknown
16 (22.2%)
Died
8 (11.1%)
Euthanized
3 (4.2%)

Cortisone Adverse Event Insights

72 reports name Cortisone; 11 recorded a death outcome (15.3% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Cortisone. Administration routes: Unknown, Topical, Parenteral, Subcutaneous.

By species: Dog (47 reports), Cat (23 reports), Horse (2 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (14), Retriever - Labrador (6), Domestic Mediumhair (5).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (9), Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea (8), Death (8), Behavioural disorder NOS (6). Outcome, 72 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 36.1%.

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.