Saline

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119 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
119
Total Reports
23
Deaths Reported
1930.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Saline

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousAuricular (Otic)SubcutaneousOphthalmicIntramuscularNasalOtherIntraocularTopical

Species Affected

Dog 66
Cat 37
Cattle 4
Mouse 3
Rabbit 3
Human 3
Cockatiel 1
Other Birds 1
Horse 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 24
Retriever - Labrador 8
Unknown 5
Domestic Longhair 4
Spaniel - Cocker American 4
Maltese 4
Maine Coon 4
Poodle - Miniature 4
Boxer (German Boxer) 3
Pit Bull 3

Most Reported Reactions

Anorexia 19
Ataxia 19
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 16
Tympanic rupture 14
Vomiting 13
Head shake - ear disorder 13
Deafness 13
Lack of efficacy - NOS 12
Behavioural disorder NOS 12
Head tilt - ear disorder 12
Ear discharge 12
Nystagmus 12

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
55 (45.1%)
Recovered/Normal
29 (23.8%)
Euthanized
12 (9.8%)
Ongoing
11 (9.0%)
Died
11 (9.0%)
Recovered with Sequela
4 (3.3%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 119
Reports involving death 23
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 1930.0%
Distinct species in reports 9
Distinct breeds in reports 20
Distinct reactions reported 20
Active ingredients on file 1

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reporting (CVM AER). Counts reflect voluntary reports only.

Saline Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 119 adverse event reports referencing Saline, including 23 reports in which the animal died — a 1930.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Saline. Reported administration routes include Unknown, Intravenous, Auricular (Otic), Subcutaneous. These numbers reflect voluntary submissions from pet owners, veterinarians, and manufacturers and therefore under-represent mild events and over-represent severe ones — a pattern the FDA has documented repeatedly for pharmacovigilance datasets.

The species most frequently named in Saline reports are Dog (66 reports), Cat (37 reports), Cattle (4 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Domestic Shorthair (24), Retriever - Labrador (8), Unknown (5) appear most often — though breed popularity and ownership density shape these counts as much as any drug-specific sensitivity. This distribution matters because the same active ingredient can behave very differently across body sizes, ages, and species physiology.

The most commonly reported clinical signs associated with Saline are Anorexia (19), Ataxia (19), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (16), Tympanic rupture (14). Of the 122 reports with a coded outcome, Outcome Unknown is the leading category at 45.1%. Because FDA adverse event data describes correlation rather than causation, these figures are best used to frame informed questions with a veterinarian and to compare reporting patterns across related products — not as a standalone safety verdict on Saline.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports Data reflects voluntary submissions and may not represent actual incidence rates

Related

Data sourced from official AKC, AVMA, ACVO, and breed-club veterinary references. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBreed Editorial