Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Dimethyl Sulfoxide

20 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Dimethyl Sulfoxide. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

20
adverse-event reports
15.0%
death-coded share
Horse
most-reported species
3
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.
20
Total Reports
3
Deaths Reported
15.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Dimethyl Sulfoxide

Administration Routes

TopicalUnknownIntravenousOralAuricular (Otic)

Species Affected

Horse 10
Dog 6
Unknown 1
Human 1
Other 1
Cat 1

Most Affected Breeds

Thoroughbred 4
Bulldog 4
Horse (unknown) 3
Unknown 3
Crossbred Equine/horse 1
Warmblood (unspecified) 1
Retriever - Golden 1
Ragdoll 1
Quarter Horse 1
Bulldog - American 1

Most Reported Reactions

Ataxia 3
Cutaneous calcinosis 3
Bacterial skin infection NOS 2
Hind limb ataxia 2
Odor, Abnormal 2
Increased sweating 2
Lack of efficacy - NOS 2
Injection site swelling 2
Decreased urine concentration 2
Muscle stiffness 1
Lameness 1
Gait abnormality 1

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
11 (57.9%)
Ongoing
4 (21.1%)
Died
2 (10.5%)
Euthanized
1 (5.3%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (5.3%)

Dimethyl Sulfoxide Adverse Event Insights

20 reports name Dimethyl Sulfoxide; 3 recorded a death outcome (15.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Dimethyl Sulfoxide. Administration routes: Topical, Unknown, Intravenous, Oral.

By species: Horse (10 reports), Dog (6 reports), Unknown (1 reports). By breed: Thoroughbred (4), Bulldog (4), Horse (unknown) (3).

Leading clinical signs: Ataxia (3), Cutaneous calcinosis (3), Bacterial skin infection NOS (2), Hind limb ataxia (2). Outcome, 19 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 57.9%.

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.