Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Diclofenac Sodium

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

44
adverse-event reports
6.8%
death-coded share
Horse
most-reported species
4
Ataxia - 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.
44
Total Reports
3
Deaths Reported
6.8%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Diclofenac Sodium

Administration Routes

TopicalUnknownOtherOphthalmicOralIntraperitoneal

Species Affected

Horse 26
Unknown 6
Dog 6
Human 4
Other 1
Other Rodents 1

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 12
Quarter Horse 3
Thoroughbred 3
Warmblood (unspecified) 3
Horse (unknown) 3
Saddlebred - American 2
Hanovarian 1
Siberian Husky 1
Pug 1
Dachshund - Miniature 1

Most Reported Reactions

Ataxia 4
Fever 4
Product Defect, General 4
Decreased appetite 4
Other abnormal test result NOS 4
Uncoded sign 3
Skin slough 3
Death by euthanasia 3
Nausea 2
Application site swelling 2
Application site burn 2
Diarrhoea 2

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
16 (43.2%)
Outcome Unknown
13 (35.1%)
Ongoing
5 (13.5%)
Euthanized
2 (5.4%)
Died
1 (2.7%)

Diclofenac Sodium Adverse Event Insights

44 reports name Diclofenac Sodium; 3 recorded a death outcome (6.8% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Diclofenac Sodium. Administration routes: Topical, Unknown, Other, Ophthalmic.

By species: Horse (26 reports), Unknown (6 reports), Dog (6 reports). By breed: Unknown (12), Quarter Horse (3), Thoroughbred (3).

Leading clinical signs: Ataxia (4), Fever (4), Product Defect, General (4), Decreased appetite (4). Outcome, 37 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 43.2%.

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.