Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Lidocaine

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

316
adverse-event reports
29.1%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
57
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.
316
Total Reports
92
Deaths Reported
29.1%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Lidocaine

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousOtherSubcutaneousTopicalParenteralIntradermalPerineuralOralIntratesticular

Species Affected

Dog 190
Cat 103
Horse 6
Pig 5
Rabbit 3
Cattle 2
Guinea Pig 2
Mouse 1
Chinchilla 1
Other Reptiles 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 66
Retriever - Labrador 30
Domestic Longhair 17
Boxer (German Boxer) 14
Retriever - Golden 11
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 9
Crossbred Canine/dog 9
Shih Tzu 7
Dog (unknown) 6
Beagle 6

Most Reported Reactions

Death 57
Vomiting 41
Other abnormal test result NOS 34
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 29
Behavioural disorder NOS 29
Tachycardia 28
Death by euthanasia 27
Diarrhoea 27
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 25
Anorexia 24
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 23
Lack of efficacy - NOS 23

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
96 (29.8%)
Ongoing
84 (26.1%)
Died
63 (19.6%)
Outcome Unknown
50 (15.5%)
Euthanized
29 (9.0%)

Lidocaine Adverse Event Insights

316 reports name Lidocaine; 92 recorded a death outcome (29.1% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Lidocaine. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Other, Subcutaneous.

By species: Dog (190 reports), Cat (103 reports), Horse (6 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (66), Retriever - Labrador (30), Domestic Longhair (17).

Leading clinical signs: Death (57), Vomiting (41), Other abnormal test result NOS (34), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (29). Outcome, 322 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 29.8%.

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.