Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Oxytetracycline

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

256
adverse-event reports
32.4%
death-coded share
Cattle
most-reported species
58
Death - 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.
256
Total Reports
83
Deaths Reported
32.4%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Oxytetracycline

Administration Routes

UnknownSubcutaneousIntramuscularIntravenousOphthalmicParenteralOralTopicalIntradermalUnassigned

Species Affected

Cattle 115
Unknown 65
Horse 18
Cat 16
Human 12
Dog 9
Goat 8
Pig 6
Sheep 4
Other 1

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 93
Crossbred Bovine/Cattle 19
Aberdeen Angus 18
Cattle (other) 18
Cattle (unknown) 17
Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein 12
Domestic Shorthair 9
Mixed (Cattle) 6
Goat (unknown) 6
Thoroughbred 4

Most Reported Reactions

Death 58
Injection site swelling 35
Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS 21
Color, Abnormal 19
Death by euthanasia 14
Solution, Abnormal 14
Collapse (see also 'Cardio-vascular' and 'Systemic disorders') 13
Anorexia 11
Anaphylaxis 10
Injection site pain 10
Vials, Leaking 10
Accidental exposure 10

Outcome Breakdown

Died
73 (39.2%)
Recovered/Normal
58 (31.2%)
Outcome Unknown
23 (12.4%)
Ongoing
18 (9.7%)
Euthanized
11 (5.9%)
Recovered with Sequela
3 (1.6%)

Oxytetracycline Adverse Event Insights

256 reports name Oxytetracycline; 83 recorded a death outcome (32.4% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Oxytetracycline. Administration routes: Unknown, Subcutaneous, Intramuscular, Intravenous.

By species: Cattle (115 reports), Unknown (65 reports), Horse (18 reports). By breed: Unknown (93), Crossbred Bovine/Cattle (19), Aberdeen Angus (18).

Leading clinical signs: Death (58), Injection site swelling (35), Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS (21), Color, Abnormal (19). Outcome, 186 coded reports: Died leads at 39.2%.

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.