Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Levothyroxine Sodium

1,384 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Levothyroxine Sodium. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

1,384
adverse-event reports
4.2%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
257
Emesis - 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.
1,384
Total Reports
58
Deaths Reported
4.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Levothyroxine Sodium

Administration Routes

OralUnknownOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 1,284
Unknown 50
Human 41
Cat 7
Horse 2

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 183
Unknown 101
Retriever - Golden 100
Crossbred Canine/dog 51
Boxer (German Boxer) 47
Beagle 47
Shepherd Dog - German 42
Chihuahua 32
Pit Bull 31
Terrier - Yorkshire 29

Most Reported Reactions

Emesis 257
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 171
Vomiting 170
Overdose 159
Lack of efficacy - NOS 116
Diarrhoea 107
Weight loss 92
Seizure NOS 87
Panting 85
Other abnormal test result NOS 72
Polydipsia 64
Elevated thyroxine (T4) 59

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
577 (43.1%)
Outcome Unknown
391 (29.2%)
Ongoing
243 (18.2%)
Recovered with Sequela
69 (5.2%)
Euthanized
40 (3.0%)
Died
18 (1.3%)

Levothyroxine Sodium Adverse Event Insights

1,384 reports name Levothyroxine Sodium; 58 recorded a death outcome (4.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Levothyroxine Sodium. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown, Ophthalmic.

By species: Dog (1,284 reports), Unknown (50 reports), Human (41 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (183), Unknown (101), Retriever - Golden (100).

Leading clinical signs: Emesis (257), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (171), Vomiting (170), Overdose (159). Outcome, 1,338 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 43.1%.

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.