Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Hydrocortisone

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

66
adverse-event reports
9.1%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
11
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.
66
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
9.1%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Hydrocortisone

Administration Routes

UnknownTopicalAuricular (Otic)OralCutaneous

Species Affected

Dog 53
Cat 12
Human 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 5
Retriever - Golden 5
Shih Tzu 4
Crossbred Canine/dog 4
Retriever - Labrador 3
Mastiff (unspecified) 3
Dog (unknown) 2
Terrier - Jack Russell 2
Terrier - West Highland White 2
Siamese 2

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy - NOS 11
Other abnormal test result NOS 9
Vomiting 8
Weight loss 8
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 7
Behavioural disorder NOS 7
Ataxia 6
Seizure NOS 5
Hair loss NOS 5
Anorexia 4
Leucopenia NOS 4
Skin lesion NOS 4

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
25 (37.9%)
Outcome Unknown
18 (27.3%)
Recovered/Normal
15 (22.7%)
Euthanized
3 (4.5%)
Died
3 (4.5%)
Recovered with Sequela
2 (3.0%)

Hydrocortisone Adverse Event Insights

66 reports name Hydrocortisone; 6 recorded a death outcome (9.1% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Hydrocortisone. Administration routes: Unknown, Topical, Auricular (Otic), Oral.

By species: Dog (53 reports), Cat (12 reports), Human (1 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (5), Retriever - Golden (5), Shih Tzu (4).

Leading clinical signs: Lack of efficacy - NOS (11), Other abnormal test result NOS (9), Vomiting (8), Weight loss (8). Outcome, 66 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 37.9%.

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.