Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Hydromorphone

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

832
adverse-event reports
16.2%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
98
Vomiting - top reaction
Verify with FDA CVM →
Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
832
Total Reports
135
Deaths Reported
16.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Hydromorphone

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenousParenteralSubcutaneousOralOtherEpiduralIntra-Articular

Species Affected

Dog 620
Cat 200
Rabbit 4
Goat 2
Other Reptiles 1
Lizard 1
Other Bovine 1
Cougar 1
Pig 1
Unknown 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 114
Retriever - Labrador 89
Dog (unknown) 61
Crossbred Canine/dog 39
Cat (unknown) 28
Chihuahua 21
Retriever - Golden 21
Pit Bull 20
Domestic Longhair 19
Unknown 17

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 98
Death 75
Not eating 73
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 69
Other abnormal test result NOS 61
Lack of efficacy - NOS 60
Anorexia 55
Death by euthanasia 53
Injection site swelling 52
Tachycardia 51
Decreased appetite 45
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 44

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
380 (45.6%)
Outcome Unknown
174 (20.9%)
Ongoing
137 (16.4%)
Died
82 (9.8%)
Euthanized
54 (6.5%)
Recovered with Sequela
7 (0.8%)

Hydromorphone Adverse Event Insights

832 reports name Hydromorphone; 135 recorded a death outcome (16.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Hydromorphone. Administration routes: Unknown, Intramuscular, Intravenous, Parenteral.

By species: Dog (620 reports), Cat (200 reports), Rabbit (4 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (114), Retriever - Labrador (89), Dog (unknown) (61).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (98), Death (75), Not eating (73), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (69). Outcome, 834 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 45.6%.

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.