Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Hydrocodone

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

263
adverse-event reports
22.4%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
42
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.
263
Total Reports
59
Deaths Reported
22.4%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Hydrocodone

Administration Routes

UnknownOralTopical

Species Affected

Dog 254
Human 8
Cat 1

Most Affected Breeds

Chihuahua 30
Terrier - Yorkshire 21
Crossbred Canine/dog 17
Spitz - German Pomeranian 14
Maltese 14
Shih Tzu 12
Pug 9
Unknown 8
Shepherd Dog - Australian 8
Retriever - Labrador 8

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 42
Death by euthanasia 34
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 32
Cough 31
Diarrhoea 29
Panting 24
Death 24
Seizure NOS 24
Decreased appetite 19
Ataxia 17
Anorexia 15
Abnormal radiograph finding 15

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
74 (28.2%)
Recovered/Normal
66 (25.2%)
Outcome Unknown
58 (22.1%)
Euthanized
34 (13.0%)
Died
25 (9.5%)
Recovered with Sequela
5 (1.9%)

Hydrocodone Adverse Event Insights

263 reports name Hydrocodone; 59 recorded a death outcome (22.4% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Hydrocodone. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral, Topical.

By species: Dog (254 reports), Human (8 reports), Cat (1 reports). By breed: Chihuahua (30), Terrier - Yorkshire (21), Crossbred Canine/dog (17).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (42), Death by euthanasia (34), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (32), Cough (31). Outcome, 262 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 28.2%.

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.