Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Midazolam

1,289 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Midazolam. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

1,289
adverse-event reports
20.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
139
Death - top reaction
Verify with FDA CVM →
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
20.0%
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%)

Midazolam Adverse Event Insights

1,289 reports name Midazolam; 258 recorded a death outcome (20.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Midazolam. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Intramuscular, Parenteral.

By species: Dog (680 reports), Cat (530 reports), Rabbit (33 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (314), Retriever - Labrador (84), Domestic Longhair (46).

Leading clinical signs: Death (139), Vomiting (136), Not eating (113), Seizure NOS (109). Outcome, 1,302 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 38.0%.

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.