Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Dexamethasone Injection

35 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Dexamethasone Injection. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#1336 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
35
adverse-event reports
14.3%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Dexamethasone Injection ranks #1331 of 2679 by total reports (35). Death-coded-share rank requires at least 50 reports. 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)
#1331
This drug, reports of 2679

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. Dexamethasone Injection has 35 reports now versus 33 in that prior snapshot: 2 more (6.1%).

Report change
+2
Death-coded reports
+0
Death-coded share
−0.9 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 Dexamethasone Injection changes

Signature read: death-coded share at 14.3% is the most distinctive stamp on Dexamethasone Injection'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.
35
Total Reports
5
Deaths Reported
14.3%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Dexamethasone Injection

Administration Routes

UnknownSubcutaneousIntramuscularOralParenteral

Species Affected

Dog 22
Cat 13

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 8
Pug 3
Retriever - Golden 3
Cat (other) 3
Chihuahua 3
Retriever - Labrador 3
Bulldog - French 2
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 2
Terrier (unspecified) 2
Schnauzer - Miniature 1

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 7
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 6
Other abnormal test result NOS 5
Vomiting 5
Anaemia NOS 5
Fever 4
Pruritus 3
Leucocytosis NOS 3
Death 3
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 3
Pain NOS 3
Facial swelling (see also Skin) 3

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
15 (42.9%)
Outcome Unknown
10 (28.6%)
Recovered/Normal
5 (14.3%)
Died
3 (8.6%)
Euthanized
2 (5.7%)

Dexamethasone Injection 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.

What to do with this drug

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 Dexamethasone Injection (#1336 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 14.3%. PlainBreed drug row · death-coded share stamp 14.3% · 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 →