Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Sedative

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

147
adverse-event reports
15.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
27
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') - top reaction
Verify with FDA CVM →
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
22
Deaths Reported
15.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Sedative

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousSubcutaneousOral

Species Affected

Dog 92
Cat 51
Horse 4

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 26
Retriever - Labrador 12
Dog (unknown) 9
Cat (other) 9
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 6
Shepherd Dog - German 6
Bulldog 5
Domestic Mediumhair 4
Domestic Longhair 4
Chihuahua 4

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 27
Vomiting 23
Anorexia 19
Decreased appetite 16
Ataxia 15
Death by euthanasia 15
Diarrhoea 14
Seizure NOS 12
Bloody diarrhoea 10
Lack of efficacy - NOS 10
Weight loss 9
Fever 8

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
68 (45.9%)
Outcome Unknown
42 (28.4%)
Recovered/Normal
16 (10.8%)
Euthanized
15 (10.1%)
Died
7 (4.7%)

Sedative Adverse Event Insights

147 reports name Sedative; 22 recorded a death outcome (15.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Sedative. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Subcutaneous, Oral.

By species: Dog (92 reports), Cat (51 reports), Horse (4 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (26), Retriever - Labrador (12), Dog (unknown) (9).

Leading clinical signs: Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (27), Vomiting (23), Anorexia (19), Decreased appetite (16). Outcome, 148 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 45.9%.

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.