Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Dexamethasone Sp

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

128
adverse-event reports
25.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
43
Vomiting - 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.
128
Total Reports
32
Deaths Reported
25.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Dexamethasone Sp

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousIntramuscularSubcutaneousParenteralAuricular (Otic)

Species Affected

Dog 97
Cat 31

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 23
Retriever - Labrador 17
Shepherd Dog - German 7
Chihuahua 6
Terrier (unspecified) 6
Terrier - Yorkshire 4
Dachshund (unspecified) 4
Poodle (unspecified) 3
Schnauzer - Miniature 3
Beagle 2

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 43
Death by euthanasia 23
Diarrhoea 20
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 18
Panting 17
Not eating 17
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 17
Neutrophilia 16
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 14
Leucocytosis NOS 13
Other abnormal test result NOS 12
Anaphylaxis 11

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
37 (28.9%)
Outcome Unknown
34 (26.6%)
Recovered/Normal
25 (19.5%)
Euthanized
22 (17.2%)
Died
10 (7.8%)

Dexamethasone Sp Adverse Event Insights

128 reports name Dexamethasone Sp; 32 recorded a death outcome (25.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Dexamethasone Sp. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Intramuscular, Subcutaneous.

By species: Dog (97 reports), Cat (31 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (23), Retriever - Labrador (17), Shepherd Dog - German (7).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (43), Death by euthanasia (23), Diarrhoea (20), Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (18). Outcome, 128 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 28.9%.

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.