Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Desoxycortone

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

733
adverse-event reports
8.2%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
104
Lack of efficacy - NOS - 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.
733
Total Reports
60
Deaths Reported
8.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Desoxycortone

Administration Routes

IntramuscularParenteralUnknownSubcutaneousOralIntravenousOtherCutaneousRespiratory (Inhalation)Topical

Species Affected

Dog 633
Unknown 93
Human 5
Cat 2

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 98
Retriever - Labrador 72
Dog (unknown) 72
Crossbred Canine/dog 27
Poodle - Standard 24
Pit Bull 23
Terrier - West Highland White 22
Retriever - Golden 20
Chihuahua 20
Poodle (unspecified) 19

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy - NOS 104
Vomiting 89
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 80
Other abnormal test result NOS 68
Polydipsia 60
Polyuria 59
Weight gain 50
Incorrect route of drug administration 47
Diarrhoea 47
Product problem 44
Weight loss 41
Not eating 34

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
240 (37.5%)
Ongoing
212 (33.1%)
Recovered/Normal
110 (17.2%)
Died
33 (5.2%)
Euthanized
27 (4.2%)
Recovered with Sequela
18 (2.8%)

Desoxycortone Adverse Event Insights

733 reports name Desoxycortone; 60 recorded a death outcome (8.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Desoxycortone. Administration routes: Intramuscular, Parenteral, Unknown, Subcutaneous.

By species: Dog (633 reports), Unknown (93 reports), Human (5 reports). By breed: Unknown (98), Retriever - Labrador (72), Dog (unknown) (72).

Leading clinical signs: Lack of efficacy - NOS (104), Vomiting (89), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (80), Other abnormal test result NOS (68). Outcome, 640 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 37.5%.

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.