Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Hydromorphone Hcl

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

286
adverse-event reports
24.5%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
64
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.
286
Total Reports
70
Deaths Reported
24.5%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Hydromorphone Hcl

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenousSubcutaneousOral

Species Affected

Dog 258
Cat 27
Rabbit 1

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 39
Dog (unknown) 23
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 15
Retriever - Golden 13
Domestic Shorthair 13
Chihuahua 9
Beagle 9
Boxer (German Boxer) 7
Terrier - Boston 7
Siberian Husky 6

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 64
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 56
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 42
Anorexia 39
Death by euthanasia 37
Other abnormal test result NOS 37
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) 34
Death 34
Elevated total bilirubin 31
Elevated liver enzymes 27
Diarrhoea 25
Leucocytosis NOS 23

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
126 (43.9%)
Recovered/Normal
78 (27.2%)
Euthanized
36 (12.5%)
Died
34 (11.8%)
Outcome Unknown
13 (4.5%)

Hydromorphone Hcl Adverse Event Insights

286 reports name Hydromorphone Hcl; 70 recorded a death outcome (24.5% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Hydromorphone Hcl. Administration routes: Unknown, Intramuscular, Intravenous, Subcutaneous.

By species: Dog (258 reports), Cat (27 reports), Rabbit (1 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (39), Dog (unknown) (23), Terrier - Bull - American Pit (15).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (64), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (56), Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (42), Anorexia (39). Outcome, 287 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 43.9%.

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.