Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Ketamine

2,232 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Ketamine. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

2,232
adverse-event reports
21.4%
death-coded share
Cat
most-reported species
304
Death - 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.
2,232
Total Reports
477
Deaths Reported
21.4%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Ketamine

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenousParenteralSubcutaneousOtherIntraperitonealRespiratory (Inhalation)OphthalmicAuricular (Otic)

Species Affected

Cat 1,349
Dog 772
Horse 33
Rabbit 24
Mouse 6
Unknown 6
Other 5
Guinea Pig 5
Other Rodents 4
Pig 4

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 795
Cat (unknown) 155
Domestic Longhair 118
Retriever - Labrador 115
Domestic Mediumhair 76
Dog (unknown) 68
Cat (other) 64
Unknown 50
Chihuahua 33
Shepherd Dog - German 32

Most Reported Reactions

Death 304
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 192
Lack of efficacy - NOS 180
Behavioural disorder NOS 173
Anorexia 167
Vomiting 165
Not eating 152
Death by euthanasia 147
Bradycardia 122
Other abnormal test result NOS 120
Fever 119
Dilated pupils 116

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
829 (36.9%)
Ongoing
608 (27.0%)
Died
326 (14.5%)
Outcome Unknown
322 (14.3%)
Euthanized
153 (6.8%)
Recovered with Sequela
10 (0.4%)

Ketamine Adverse Event Insights

2,232 reports name Ketamine; 477 recorded a death outcome (21.4% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Ketamine. Administration routes: Unknown, Intramuscular, Intravenous, Parenteral.

By species: Cat (1,349 reports), Dog (772 reports), Horse (33 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (795), Cat (unknown) (155), Domestic Longhair (118).

Leading clinical signs: Death (304), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (192), Lack of efficacy - NOS (180), Behavioural disorder NOS (173). Outcome, 2,248 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 36.9%.

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.