Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Erythromycin

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

53
adverse-event reports
13.2%
death-coded share
Cat
most-reported species
7
Other abnormal test result NOS - 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.
53
Total Reports
7
Deaths Reported
13.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Erythromycin

Administration Routes

UnknownOphthalmicOralIntraocularOtherEndotrachealTopical

Species Affected

Cat 34
Dog 15
Human 3
Unknown 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 17
Domestic Longhair 4
Siamese 4
Unknown 4
Domestic Mediumhair 3
Retriever - Labrador 3
Chihuahua 2
Cat (other) 2
Chow Chow 2
Poodle (unspecified) 1

Most Reported Reactions

Other abnormal test result NOS 7
Vomiting 6
Neutrophilia 6
Digestive tract disorder NOS 6
Hypersalivation 6
Anaemia NOS 5
Behavioural disorder NOS 5
Not eating 5
Lack of efficacy - NOS 5
Death by euthanasia 5
Ocular discharge 5
Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 5

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
18 (34.0%)
Recovered/Normal
17 (32.1%)
Outcome Unknown
11 (20.8%)
Euthanized
5 (9.4%)
Died
2 (3.8%)

Erythromycin Adverse Event Insights

53 reports name Erythromycin; 7 recorded a death outcome (13.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Erythromycin. Administration routes: Unknown, Ophthalmic, Oral, Intraocular.

By species: Cat (34 reports), Dog (15 reports), Human (3 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (17), Domestic Longhair (4), Siamese (4).

Leading clinical signs: Other abnormal test result NOS (7), Vomiting (6), Neutrophilia (6), Digestive tract disorder NOS (6). Outcome, 53 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 34.0%.

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.