Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride

4,952 FDA reports name Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride, a high-volume drug in the CVM extract. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#48 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
4,952
adverse-event reports
13.5%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride ranks #48 of 2679 by total reports (4,952) and #414 of 1130 by death-coded share (13.5%). 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)
#48
This drug, reports of 2679
#414
This drug, death share of 1130

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. Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride has 4,952 reports now versus 4,885 in that prior snapshot: 67 more (1.4%).

Report change
+67
Death-coded reports
+8
Death-coded share
−0.0 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 Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride changes

Signature read: death-coded report count at 668 is the most distinctive stamp on Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride'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.
4,952
Total Reports
668
Deaths Reported
13.5%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride

Administration Routes

IntramuscularUnknownIntravenousBuccalSublingualOralSubcutaneousOtherParenteralTopical

Species Affected

Dog 3,418
Cat 1,227
Unknown 179
Human 46
Rabbit 14
Other Mammals 12
Rat 6
Horse 6
Other 5
Guinea Pig 4

Most Affected Breeds

Dog (unknown) 603
Domestic Shorthair 528
Retriever - Labrador 336
Unknown 293
Cat (unknown) 160
Domestic (unspecified) 158
Cat (other) 133
Crossbred Canine/dog 126
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 126
Shepherd Dog - German 122

Most Reported Reactions

INEFFECTIVE, SEDATION 660
Lack of efficacy - NOS 582
Bradycardia 517
Death 478
Vomiting 358
Cardiac arrest 306
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 246
Sedation prolonged 223
Sedation 214
Hypersalivation 196
Underdose 193
Anorexia 184

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
1,717 (41.0%)
Ongoing
1,186 (28.3%)
Outcome Unknown
614 (14.7%)
Died
548 (13.1%)
Euthanized
122 (2.9%)
Recovered with Sequela
3 (0.1%)

Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride: high report volume in the FDA AER row

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.

High-volume nationwide drug peers

Two openFDA-derived peer sets for Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride, both floored at ≥50 reports so the neighborhoods stay in the advertised mass.

Similar death-coded share

Nearest other drugs by death-coded share (13.5% here), distinct from the volume row.

What to do with this drug

  • Compare Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride's report volume and death-coded share against similar drugs nationwide. See similar drugs
  • Read how death-coded share differs from a mortality rate before drawing conclusions. Understanding adverse events
  • Browse the full drug directory to compare report counts across products. All drugs

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 Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride (#48 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 13.5%. PlainBreed drug row · death-coded report count stamp 668 · 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 →