Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Polyethylene Glycol

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

68
adverse-event reports
16.2%
death-coded share
Cat
most-reported species
14
Vomiting - 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.
68
Total Reports
11
Deaths Reported
16.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Polyethylene Glycol

Administration Routes

UnknownOral

Species Affected

Cat 62
Dog 4
Human 2

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 41
Cat (unknown) 7
Domestic Longhair 4
Domestic Mediumhair 2
Unknown 2
Maine Coon 2
Siamese 2
Retriever - Labrador 1
Shepherd Dog - German 1
Bulldog - English 1

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 14
Not eating 12
Death by euthanasia 10
Diarrhoea 9
Weight loss 9
Lack of efficacy - NOS 9
Ataxia 9
Constipation 9
Behavioural disorder NOS 8
Neutrophilia 7
Hypokalaemia 7
Dehydration 7

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
29 (42.6%)
Recovered/Normal
16 (23.5%)
Outcome Unknown
11 (16.2%)
Euthanized
10 (14.7%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (1.5%)
Died
1 (1.5%)

Polyethylene Glycol Adverse Event Insights

68 reports name Polyethylene Glycol; 11 recorded a death outcome (16.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Polyethylene Glycol. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral.

By species: Cat (62 reports), Dog (4 reports), Human (2 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (41), Cat (unknown) (7), Domestic Longhair (4).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (14), Not eating (12), Death by euthanasia (10), Diarrhoea (9). Outcome, 68 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 42.6%.

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.