Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Epinephrine

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

382
adverse-event reports
51.8%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
152
Death - 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.
382
Total Reports
198
Deaths Reported
51.8%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Epinephrine

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousIntramuscularIntracardiacEndotrachealParenteralNasalTopicalOralOther

Species Affected

Dog 287
Cat 81
Cattle 7
Human 5
Horse 1
Pig 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 51
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 22
Chihuahua 14
Shih Tzu 13
Terrier - Yorkshire 13
Retriever - Labrador 13
Retriever - Golden 13
Pug 11
Bulldog - French 11
Siberian Husky 10

Most Reported Reactions

Death 152
Anaphylaxis 148
Vomiting 128
Cardiac arrest 95
Pale mucous membrane 91
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 72
Bradycardia 60
Diarrhoea 49
Hypotension 49
Cyanosis 45
Death by euthanasia 44
Other abnormal test result NOS 43

Outcome Breakdown

Died
154 (40.2%)
Ongoing
99 (25.8%)
Recovered/Normal
72 (18.8%)
Euthanized
44 (11.5%)
Outcome Unknown
13 (3.4%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (0.3%)

Epinephrine Adverse Event Insights

382 reports name Epinephrine; 198 recorded a death outcome (51.8% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Epinephrine. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Intramuscular, Intracardiac.

By species: Dog (287 reports), Cat (81 reports), Cattle (7 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (51), Terrier - Bull - American Pit (22), Chihuahua (14).

Leading clinical signs: Death (152), Anaphylaxis (148), Vomiting (128), Cardiac arrest (95). Outcome, 383 coded reports: Died leads at 40.2%.

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.