Midazolam

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1,289 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
1,289
Total Reports
258
Deaths Reported
2000.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Midazolam

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousIntramuscularParenteralSubcutaneousOtherOralNasalRectal

Species Affected

Dog 680
Cat 530
Rabbit 33
Horse 24
Guinea Pig 6
Pig 3
Other Rodents 2
Goat 2
Other 2
Turtle 2

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 314
Retriever - Labrador 84
Domestic Longhair 46
Unknown 40
Dog (unknown) 37
Cat (unknown) 33
Chihuahua 32
Domestic Mediumhair 32
Crossbred Canine/dog 29
Boxer (German Boxer) 22

Most Reported Reactions

Death 139
Vomiting 136
Not eating 113
Seizure NOS 109
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 105
Death by euthanasia 98
Diarrhoea 91
Anorexia 89
Behavioural disorder NOS 87
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 84
Ataxia 80
Lack of efficacy - NOS 77

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
495 (38.0%)
Ongoing
305 (23.4%)
Outcome Unknown
232 (17.8%)
Died
150 (11.5%)
Euthanized
109 (8.4%)
Recovered with Sequela
11 (0.8%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 1,289
Reports involving death 258
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 2000.0%
Distinct species in reports 10
Distinct breeds in reports 20
Distinct reactions reported 20
Active ingredients on file 1

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reporting (CVM AER). Counts reflect voluntary reports only.

Midazolam Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 1,289 adverse event reports referencing Midazolam, including 258 reports in which the animal died — a 2000.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Midazolam. Reported administration routes include Unknown, Intravenous, Intramuscular, Parenteral. These numbers reflect voluntary submissions from pet owners, veterinarians, and manufacturers and therefore under-represent mild events and over-represent severe ones — a pattern the FDA has documented repeatedly for pharmacovigilance datasets.

The species most frequently named in Midazolam reports are Dog (680 reports), Cat (530 reports), Rabbit (33 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Domestic Shorthair (314), Retriever - Labrador (84), Domestic Longhair (46) appear most often — though breed popularity and ownership density shape these counts as much as any drug-specific sensitivity. This distribution matters because the same active ingredient can behave very differently across body sizes, ages, and species physiology.

The most commonly reported clinical signs associated with Midazolam are Death (139), Vomiting (136), Not eating (113), Seizure NOS (109). Of the 1,302 reports with a coded outcome, Recovered/Normal is the leading category at 38.0%. Because FDA adverse event data describes correlation rather than causation, these figures are best used to frame informed questions with a veterinarian and to compare reporting patterns across related products — not as a standalone safety verdict on Midazolam.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports Data reflects voluntary submissions and may not represent actual incidence rates

Related

Data sourced from official AKC, AVMA, ACVO, and breed-club veterinary references. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBreed Editorial