Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Meclizine

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

109
adverse-event reports
20.2%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
44
Ataxia - 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.
109
Total Reports
22
Deaths Reported
20.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Meclizine

Administration Routes

OralUnknownOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 94
Cat 13
Human 2

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 12
Domestic Shorthair 9
Crossbred Canine/dog 6
Shepherd Dog - German 5
Shih Tzu 4
Pug 4
Terrier (unspecified) 4
Spaniel - Cocker American 3
Beagle 3
Pinscher - Miniature 3

Most Reported Reactions

Ataxia 44
Nystagmus 39
Vestibular disorder NOS 37
Vomiting 29
Head tilt - neurological disorder (see also Head tilt - ear disorder) 27
Head tilt - ear disorder 24
Anorexia 22
Diarrhoea 19
Behavioural disorder NOS 18
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 17
Death by euthanasia 15
Not eating 15

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
36 (32.7%)
Ongoing
36 (32.7%)
Euthanized
15 (13.6%)
Recovered/Normal
14 (12.7%)
Died
7 (6.4%)
Recovered with Sequela
2 (1.8%)

Meclizine Adverse Event Insights

109 reports name Meclizine; 22 recorded a death outcome (20.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Meclizine. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown, Ophthalmic.

By species: Dog (94 reports), Cat (13 reports), Human (2 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (12), Domestic Shorthair (9), Crossbred Canine/dog (6).

Leading clinical signs: Ataxia (44), Nystagmus (39), Vestibular disorder NOS (37), Vomiting (29). Outcome, 110 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 32.7%.

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.