Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Salicylic Acid

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

147
adverse-event reports
4.1%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
30
Lack of efficacy - NOS - 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.
147
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
4.1%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Salicylic Acid

Administration Routes

Auricular (Otic)UnknownTopicalOther

Species Affected

Dog 131
Cat 15
Human 1

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 18
Domestic Shorthair 12
Chihuahua 6
Pit Bull 5
Retriever - Golden 5
Pug 5
Dachshund (unspecified) 5
Shepherd Dog - Australian 5
Shih Tzu 5
Bulldog - French 4

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy - NOS 30
Loss of hearing 23
Ear discharge 17
Deafness 14
Head shake - ear disorder 14
Head tilt - ear disorder 13
Behavioural disorder NOS 13
Ataxia 12
Not eating 12
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 10
Vestibular disorder NOS 10
Corneal ulcer 10

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
77 (52.4%)
Ongoing
34 (23.1%)
Recovered/Normal
26 (17.7%)
Recovered with Sequela
4 (2.7%)
Died
3 (2.0%)
Euthanized
3 (2.0%)

Salicylic Acid Adverse Event Insights

147 reports name Salicylic Acid; 6 recorded a death outcome (4.1% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Salicylic Acid. Administration routes: Auricular (Otic), Unknown, Topical, Other.

By species: Dog (131 reports), Cat (15 reports), Human (1 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (18), Domestic Shorthair (12), Chihuahua (6).

Leading clinical signs: Lack of efficacy - NOS (30), Loss of hearing (23), Ear discharge (17), Deafness (14). Outcome, 147 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 52.4%.

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.