Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Medetomidine Hydrochloride

63 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Medetomidine Hydrochloride. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#988 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
63
adverse-event reports
9.5%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Medetomidine Hydrochloride ranks #985 of 2679 by total reports (63) and #561 of 1130 by death-coded share (9.5%). National dual: Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad is #1 of 2679 drugs by total adverse-event reports (149,624) at death-coded-share rank 965 of 1130 drugs with at least 50 reports (2.3%); separately, Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) is #1 highest death-coded share at 97.8% (report rank #821).

149,624
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad reports (#1)
97.8%
Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) death share (#1)
#985
This drug, reports of 2679
#561
This drug, death share of 1130

Report volume reflects how common a breed or drug is and how often owners and vets file — not actual risk. Death-coded share ranks are limited to entries with enough reports to be meaningful. The two maps do not agree at #1.

Release-over-release change

What changed in the latest FDA data snapshot

PlainBreed reconstructed the prior snapshot from dated openFDA partitions through 2025 Q4, then compared it with the 2026-07-27 openFDA export. Medetomidine Hydrochloride has 63 reports now versus 63 in that prior snapshot: 0 the same number of (0.0%).

Report change
+0
Death-coded reports
+0
Death-coded share
+0.0 pts

This compares reported-event counts in two source snapshots. It does not establish a change in real-world risk, product safety, or disease incidence.

Subscribe to Medetomidine Hydrochloride changes

Signature read: report volume at 63 is the most distinctive stamp on Medetomidine Hydrochloride's FDA AER row.

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
63
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
9.5%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Medetomidine Hydrochloride

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenousParenteralIntra-ArterialOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 35
Cat 26
Human 1
Rabbit 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 8
Retriever - Labrador 4
Unknown 4
Cat (unknown) 3
Dog (unknown) 3
Crossbred Canine/dog 2
Shepherd Dog - German 2
Abyssinian cat 2
Terrier - Bull - Staffordshire 2
Pug 2

Most Reported Reactions

Tachycardia 7
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 6
Cardiac arrest 6
Hyperthermia 6
Death 5
Blindness 5
Vomiting 4
Fever 4
Injection site swelling 4
Diarrhoea 4
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 4
Reddening of the skin 4

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
34 (53.1%)
Outcome Unknown
12 (18.8%)
Ongoing
11 (17.2%)
Died
6 (9.4%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (1.6%)

Medetomidine Hydrochloride Adverse Event Insights

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.

Nationwide drugs with similar profiles

Two openFDA-derived peer sets for Medetomidine Hydrochloride, both floored at ≥50 reports so the neighborhoods stay in the advertised mass.

Similar report volume

Nearest other drugs by FDA report count (63 here).

Similar death-coded share

Nearest other drugs by death-coded share (9.5% here), distinct from the volume row.

What to do with this drug

  • Compare Medetomidine Hydrochloride's report volume and death-coded share against similar drugs nationwide. See similar drugs
  • Read how death-coded share differs from a mortality rate before drawing conclusions. Understanding adverse events
  • Browse the full drug directory to compare report counts across products. All drugs

A report does not prove a drug caused the reaction; consult a veterinarian before acting on this data.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (CVM AER) · 2025

openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (FDA CVM) for Medetomidine Hydrochloride (#988 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 9.5%. PlainBreed drug row · report volume stamp 63 · vintage 2025.

Informational only. FDA adverse-event reports are voluntary and do not prove causation; consult a veterinarian before acting on them. Verify with FDA CVM →