Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Methylprednisolone

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

276
adverse-event reports
13.4%
death-coded share
Cat
most-reported species
36
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') - 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.
276
Total Reports
37
Deaths Reported
13.4%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Methylprednisolone

Administration Routes

UnknownOralParenteralSubcutaneousIntramuscularIntra-ArticularOtherEpiduralIntravenous

Species Affected

Cat 133
Dog 132
Unknown 7
Horse 4

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 95
Retriever - Labrador 12
Shih Tzu 10
Maltese 9
Chihuahua 8
Shepherd Dog - German 8
Domestic Longhair 8
Domestic Mediumhair 8
Unknown 7
Crossbred Canine/dog 7

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 36
Vomiting 32
Lack of efficacy - NOS 29
Other abnormal test result NOS 25
Weight loss 22
Death by euthanasia 21
Anorexia 19
Behavioural disorder NOS 19
Death 16
Polyuria 16
Diarrhoea 16
Polydipsia 14

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
85 (31.7%)
Outcome Unknown
82 (30.6%)
Recovered/Normal
59 (22.0%)
Euthanized
20 (7.5%)
Died
17 (6.3%)
Recovered with Sequela
5 (1.9%)

Methylprednisolone Adverse Event Insights

276 reports name Methylprednisolone; 37 recorded a death outcome (13.4% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Methylprednisolone. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral, Parenteral, Subcutaneous.

By species: Cat (133 reports), Dog (132 reports), Unknown (7 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (95), Retriever - Labrador (12), Shih Tzu (10).

Leading clinical signs: Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (36), Vomiting (32), Lack of efficacy - NOS (29), Other abnormal test result NOS (25). Outcome, 268 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 31.7%.

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.