Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Distemper Vaccine

1,117 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Distemper Vaccine. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

1,117
adverse-event reports
8.1%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
361
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.
1,117
Total Reports
91
Deaths Reported
8.1%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Distemper Vaccine

Administration Routes

UnknownParenteralSubcutaneousOralOtherSubconjunctivalIntramuscularTopicalIntrauterineNasal

Species Affected

Dog 991
Cat 123
Unknown 3

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 117
Domestic Shorthair 89
Chihuahua 48
Shepherd Dog - German 46
Crossbred Canine/dog 44
Pit Bull 39
Retriever - Golden 38
Boxer (German Boxer) 38
Terrier - Yorkshire 33
Shih Tzu 31

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 361
Emesis 238
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 200
Diarrhoea 114
Other abnormal test result NOS 84
Behavioural disorder NOS 70
Seizure NOS 66
Not eating 59
Anorexia 48
Ataxia 48
Decreased appetite 45
Death 45

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
584 (52.4%)
Outcome Unknown
257 (23.0%)
Ongoing
128 (11.5%)
Recovered with Sequela
55 (4.9%)
Died
54 (4.8%)
Euthanized
37 (3.3%)

Distemper Vaccine Adverse Event Insights

1,117 reports name Distemper Vaccine; 91 recorded a death outcome (8.1% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Distemper Vaccine. Administration routes: Unknown, Parenteral, Subcutaneous, Oral.

By species: Dog (991 reports), Cat (123 reports), Unknown (3 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (117), Domestic Shorthair (89), Chihuahua (48).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (361), Emesis (238), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (200), Diarrhoea (114). Outcome, 1,115 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 52.4%.

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.