Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Oxytetracycline Hcl

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

15
adverse-event reports
40.0%
death-coded share
Cattle
most-reported species
4
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.
15
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
40.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Oxytetracycline Hcl

Administration Routes

UnknownOphthalmicOralIntravenousSubcutaneousTopical

Species Affected

Cattle 8
Unknown 4
Cat 1
Human 1
Dog 1

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 5
Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein 3
Cattle (other) 2
Domestic Shorthair 1
Rottweiler 1
Mixed (Cattle) 1
Aberdeen Angus 1
Hereford cattle 1

Most Reported Reactions

Death 4
Eye pain 2
Underfilling, Bottles 2
Other abnormal test result NOS 2
Lack of efficacy - NOS 2
Vocalisation 1
Eye redness 1
Abdominal pain 1
Headache 1
Nausea 1
Sudden death 1
Anaphylactic-type reaction 1

Outcome Breakdown

Died
6 (46.2%)
Outcome Unknown
5 (38.5%)
Ongoing
1 (7.7%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (7.7%)

Oxytetracycline Hcl Adverse Event Insights

15 reports name Oxytetracycline Hcl; 6 recorded a death outcome (40.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Oxytetracycline Hcl. Administration routes: Unknown, Ophthalmic, Oral, Intravenous.

By species: Cattle (8 reports), Unknown (4 reports), Cat (1 reports). By breed: Unknown (5), Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein (3), Cattle (other) (2).

Leading clinical signs: Death (4), Eye pain (2), Underfilling, Bottles (2), Other abnormal test result NOS (2). Outcome, 13 coded reports: Died leads at 46.2%.

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.