Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Medetomidine Hydrochloride

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

58
adverse-event reports
6.9%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
7
Tachycardia - 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.
58
Total Reports
4
Deaths Reported
6.9%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Medetomidine Hydrochloride

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenousParenteralIntra-ArterialOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 31
Cat 25
Human 1
Rabbit 1

Most Affected Breeds

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

Most Reported Reactions

Tachycardia 7
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 6
Cardiac arrest 6
Hyperthermia 6
Blindness 5
Vomiting 4
Fever 4
Injection site swelling 4
Diarrhoea 4
Reddening of the skin 4
Tachypnoea 4
Lack of efficacy - NOS 3

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
31 (53.4%)
Outcome Unknown
12 (20.7%)
Ongoing
10 (17.2%)
Died
4 (6.9%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (1.7%)

Medetomidine Hydrochloride Adverse Event Insights

58 reports name Medetomidine Hydrochloride; 4 recorded a death outcome (6.9% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Medetomidine Hydrochloride. Administration routes: Unknown, Intramuscular, Intravenous, Parenteral.

By species: Dog (31 reports), Cat (25 reports), Human (1 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (8), Retriever - Labrador (4), Cat (unknown) (3).

Leading clinical signs: Tachycardia (7), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (6), Cardiac arrest (6), Hyperthermia (6). Outcome, 58 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 53.4%.

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.