Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Steroid

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

138
adverse-event reports
18.1%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
24
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') - 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.
138
Total Reports
25
Deaths Reported
18.1%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Steroid

Administration Routes

UnknownOralSubcutaneousTopicalParenteralIntramuscular

Species Affected

Dog 103
Cat 33
Ferret 1
Horse 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 19
Retriever - Labrador 12
Dog (unknown) 8
Chihuahua 7
Shih Tzu 5
Crossbred Canine/dog 5
Terrier (unspecified) 4
Domestic Longhair 4
Boxer (German Boxer) 4
Terrier - Yorkshire 3

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 24
Vomiting 22
Lack of efficacy - NOS 19
Death by euthanasia 17
Ataxia 13
INEFFECTIVE, LOSS OF EFFECT 12
Anorexia 12
Seizure NOS 10
Diarrhoea 10
Other abnormal test result NOS 9
Weight loss 9
Not eating 9

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
49 (35.5%)
Outcome Unknown
37 (26.8%)
Recovered/Normal
26 (18.8%)
Euthanized
17 (12.3%)
Died
8 (5.8%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (0.7%)

Steroid Adverse Event Insights

138 reports name Steroid; 25 recorded a death outcome (18.1% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Steroid. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral, Subcutaneous, Topical.

By species: Dog (103 reports), Cat (33 reports), Ferret (1 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (19), Retriever - Labrador (12), Dog (unknown) (8).

Leading clinical signs: Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (24), Vomiting (22), Lack of efficacy - NOS (19), Death by euthanasia (17). Outcome, 138 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 35.5%.

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.