Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Dexmedetomidine (Unknown)

52 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Dexmedetomidine (Unknown). Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#1091 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
52
adverse-event reports
25.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Dexmedetomidine (Unknown) ranks #1088 of 2679 by total reports (52) and #171 of 1130 by death-coded share (25.0%). 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)
#1088
This drug, reports of 2679
#171
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 (Unknown) has 52 reports now versus 52 in that prior snapshot: 0 the same number of (0.0%).

Report change
+0
Death-coded reports
+0
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 (Unknown) changes

Signature read: Dexmedetomidine (Unknown)'s 25.0% death-coded share is among the highest in the openFDA drug corpus.

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
52
Total Reports
13
Deaths Reported
25.0%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Dexmedetomidine (Unknown)

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenous

Species Affected

Dog 36
Cat 15
Horse 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 10
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 5
Domestic Longhair 5
Retriever - Labrador 4
Weimaraner 3
Crossbred Canine/dog 2
Pug 2
Siberian Husky 2
Hound (unspecified) 2
Boxer (German Boxer) 2

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 12
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 10
Death 9
Hypotension 6
Anaphylaxis 6
Pale mucous membrane 5
Fever 5
Tachycardia 4
Seizure NOS 4
Bloody diarrhoea 4
Death by euthanasia 4
Ataxia 4

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
28 (53.8%)
Recovered/Normal
10 (19.2%)
Died
9 (17.3%)
Euthanized
4 (7.7%)
Outcome Unknown
1 (1.9%)

Dexmedetomidine (Unknown): high death-coded share 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.

Nationwide drugs with similar profiles

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

Similar death-coded share

Nearest other drugs by death-coded share (25.0% here), distinct from the volume row.

What to do with this drug

  • Compare Dexmedetomidine (Unknown)'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 (Unknown) (#1091 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 25.0%. PlainBreed drug row · death-coded share stamp 25.0% · 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 →