Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Guaifenesin

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

33
adverse-event reports
30.3%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
6
Lack of efficacy - 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.
33
Total Reports
10
Deaths Reported
30.3%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Guaifenesin

Administration Routes

UnknownOralIntravenous

Species Affected

Dog 18
Horse 13
Human 1
Cattle 1

Most Affected Breeds

Horse (unknown) 7
Quarter Horse 3
Terrier - Yorkshire 3
Boxer (German Boxer) 2
Bulldog 2
Unknown 2
Chihuahua 2
Shih Tzu 1
Terrier - Jack Russell 1
Crossbred Canine/dog 1

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy - NOS 6
Death 5
Vomiting 5
Death by euthanasia 5
Diarrhoea 4
INEFFECTIVE, ANESTHESIA 4
Dyspnoea 3
Nausea 3
Rough recovery 3
Cardiac arrest 2
Cough 2
Pallor 2

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
12 (36.4%)
Outcome Unknown
6 (18.2%)
Died
5 (15.2%)
Ongoing
5 (15.2%)
Euthanized
5 (15.2%)

Guaifenesin Adverse Event Insights

33 reports name Guaifenesin; 10 recorded a death outcome (30.3% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Guaifenesin. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral, Intravenous.

By species: Dog (18 reports), Horse (13 reports), Human (1 reports). By breed: Horse (unknown) (7), Quarter Horse (3), Terrier - Yorkshire (3).

Leading clinical signs: Lack of efficacy - NOS (6), Death (5), Vomiting (5), Death by euthanasia (5). Outcome, 33 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 36.4%.

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.