Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Ketamine Hcl

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

165
adverse-event reports
14.5%
death-coded share
Cat
most-reported species
53
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.
165
Total Reports
24
Deaths Reported
14.5%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Ketamine Hcl

Administration Routes

IntramuscularUnknownIntravenousIntraperitonealSubconjunctival

Species Affected

Cat 52
Dog 48
Unknown 36
Horse 14
Monkey 9
Rabbit 2
Mouse 2
Human 1
Rat 1

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 103
Domestic Shorthair 11
Mixed (Dog) 5
Retriever - Labrador 4
Mixed (Cat) 3
Paint 2
Shepherd Dog - Australian 2
Beagle 2
Domestic Mediumhair 2
Mixed (Horse) 2

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy - NOS 53
INEFFECTIVE, ANESTHESIA 38
Vials, Damaged 18
Death 18
INEFFECTIVE, SEDATION 17
Sedation prolonged 12
Hyperthermia 11
Vomiting 11
Seizure NOS 10
Ataxia 8
Underfilling, Vials 8
Respiratory arrest 8

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
101 (74.8%)
Died
20 (14.8%)
Ongoing
6 (4.4%)
Euthanized
5 (3.7%)
Outcome Unknown
3 (2.2%)

Ketamine Hcl Adverse Event Insights

165 reports name Ketamine Hcl; 24 recorded a death outcome (14.5% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Ketamine Hcl. Administration routes: Intramuscular, Unknown, Intravenous, Intraperitoneal.

By species: Cat (52 reports), Dog (48 reports), Unknown (36 reports). By breed: Unknown (103), Domestic Shorthair (11), Mixed (Dog) (5).

Leading clinical signs: Lack of efficacy - NOS (53), INEFFECTIVE, ANESTHESIA (38), Vials, Damaged (18), Death (18). Outcome, 135 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 74.8%.

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.