Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Gentamicin

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

92
adverse-event reports
19.6%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
13
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.
92
Total Reports
18
Deaths Reported
19.6%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Gentamicin

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousTopicalAuricular (Otic)OtherIntramuscularIntra-ArticularParenteralIntrauterineOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 46
Horse 28
Unknown 9
Cat 6
Pig 3

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 9
Retriever - Labrador 7
Quarter Horse 7
Thoroughbred 6
Domestic Shorthair 5
Shih Tzu 4
Horse (unknown) 3
Warmblood (unspecified) 3
Maltese 2
Boxer (German Boxer) 2

Most Reported Reactions

Other abnormal test result NOS 13
Diarrhoea 12
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 12
Death 10
Vomiting 10
Fever 9
Abnormal ultrasound finding 9
Lack of efficacy - NOS 7
Death by euthanasia 7
Abnormal radiograph finding 7
Colic 7
Hives (see also Skin) 7

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
28 (32.2%)
Recovered/Normal
26 (29.9%)
Ongoing
13 (14.9%)
Died
13 (14.9%)
Euthanized
7 (8.0%)

Gentamicin Adverse Event Insights

92 reports name Gentamicin; 18 recorded a death outcome (19.6% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Gentamicin. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Topical, Auricular (Otic).

By species: Dog (46 reports), Horse (28 reports), Unknown (9 reports). By breed: Unknown (9), Retriever - Labrador (7), Quarter Horse (7).

Leading clinical signs: Other abnormal test result NOS (13), Diarrhoea (12), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) (12), Death (10). Outcome, 87 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 32.2%.

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.