Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Rabies

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

583
adverse-event reports
8.4%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
185
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.
583
Total Reports
49
Deaths Reported
8.4%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Rabies

Administration Routes

SubcutaneousUnknownTopicalParenteralIntramuscularSubconjunctivalVaginalOtherSublingual

Species Affected

Dog 415
Cat 162
Horse 3
Ferret 1
Goat 1
Cattle 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 108
Retriever - Labrador 37
Crossbred Canine/dog 25
Chihuahua 22
Domestic Longhair 21
Retriever - Golden 20
Terrier - Yorkshire 20
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 18
Domestic Mediumhair 17
Shepherd Dog - Australian 15

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 185
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 121
Facial swelling (see also 'Skin') 54
Diarrhoea 53
Anaphylaxis 51
Anorexia 42
Application site alopecia 42
Hives (see also 'Skin') 42
Pale mucous membrane 37
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 36
Fever 35
Ataxia 32

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
229 (39.3%)
Ongoing
204 (35.0%)
Outcome Unknown
99 (17.0%)
Died
29 (5.0%)
Euthanized
20 (3.4%)
Recovered with Sequela
2 (0.3%)

Rabies Adverse Event Insights

583 reports name Rabies; 49 recorded a death outcome (8.4% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Rabies. Administration routes: Subcutaneous, Unknown, Topical, Parenteral.

By species: Dog (415 reports), Cat (162 reports), Horse (3 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (108), Retriever - Labrador (37), Crossbred Canine/dog (25).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (185), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (121), Facial swelling (see also 'Skin') (54), Diarrhoea (53). Outcome, 583 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 39.3%.

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.