Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Hetastarch

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

76
adverse-event reports
68.4%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
33
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.
76
Total Reports
52
Deaths Reported
68.4%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Hetastarch

Administration Routes

IntravenousUnknown

Species Affected

Dog 67
Cat 9

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 12
Domestic Shorthair 7
Chihuahua 4
Maltese 3
Collie - Border 3
Schnauzer - Miniature 3
Terrier - Yorkshire 3
Sheepdog - Shetland 3
Domestic Longhair 2
Boxer (German Boxer) 2

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 33
Other abnormal test result NOS 31
Death by euthanasia 29
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 26
Hypotension 24
Death 24
Anorexia 22
Anaemia NOS 18
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 18
Hypoalbuminaemia 17
Lateral recumbency 16
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) 15

Outcome Breakdown

Euthanized
28 (36.4%)
Died
24 (31.2%)
Ongoing
18 (23.4%)
Recovered/Normal
5 (6.5%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (1.3%)
Outcome Unknown
1 (1.3%)

Hetastarch Adverse Event Insights

76 reports name Hetastarch; 52 recorded a death outcome (68.4% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Hetastarch. Administration routes: Intravenous, Unknown.

By species: Dog (67 reports), Cat (9 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (12), Domestic Shorthair (7), Chihuahua (4).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (33), Other abnormal test result NOS (31), Death by euthanasia (29), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (26). Outcome, 77 coded reports: Euthanized 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.