Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Methylprednisolone Acetate

1,660 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Methylprednisolone Acetate. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

1,660
adverse-event reports
17.5%
death-coded share
Cat
most-reported species
216
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.
1,660
Total Reports
291
Deaths Reported
17.5%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Methylprednisolone Acetate

Administration Routes

UnknownSubcutaneousIntramuscularIntra-ArticularParenteralOralOtherIntravenousIntradermalOphthalmic

Species Affected

Cat 1,095
Dog 375
Unknown 132
Horse 53
Human 2
Cattle 1
Other 1
Rabbit 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 636
Unknown 135
Domestic (unspecified) 105
Domestic Longhair 72
Cat (other) 65
Domestic Mediumhair 51
Cat (unknown) 46
Retriever - Labrador 37
Dog (unknown) 36
Quarter Horse 28

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 216
Vomiting 212
Anorexia 174
Death 154
Lack of efficacy - NOS 149
Weight loss 129
Other abnormal test result NOS 123
Death by euthanasia 118
INEFFECTIVE, ANTIINFLAMMATORY 106
Ataxia 101
Hyperglycaemia 88
Fever 85

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
658 (47.5%)
Outcome Unknown
236 (17.0%)
Recovered/Normal
200 (14.4%)
Died
183 (13.2%)
Euthanized
108 (7.8%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (0.1%)

Methylprednisolone Acetate Adverse Event Insights

1,660 reports name Methylprednisolone Acetate; 291 recorded a death outcome (17.5% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Methylprednisolone Acetate. Administration routes: Unknown, Subcutaneous, Intramuscular, Intra-Articular.

By species: Cat (1,095 reports), Dog (375 reports), Unknown (132 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (636), Unknown (135), Domestic (unspecified) (105).

Leading clinical signs: Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (216), Vomiting (212), Anorexia (174), Death (154). Outcome, 1,386 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 47.5%.

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.