Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Steroid Injection

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

37
adverse-event reports
16.2%
death-coded share
Cat
most-reported species
7
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.
37
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
16.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Steroid Injection

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenousParenteralTopicalSubcutaneous

Species Affected

Cat 20
Dog 17

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 13
Shepherd Dog - German 2
Chihuahua 2
Dog (unknown) 2
Rottweiler 1
Catahoula Leopard Dog 1
Mixed (Dog) 1
Siamese 1
Schnauzer - Miniature 1
Terrier - Bull - Staffordshire 1

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 7
Vomiting 6
Weight loss 6
Erythema (for urticaria see Immune SOC) 4
Pruritus 4
Diarrhoea 3
Anorexia 3
Application site alopecia 3
Seizure NOS 3
Ataxia 3
Lack of efficacy - NOS 3
Death 3

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
19 (51.4%)
Recovered/Normal
9 (24.3%)
Died
4 (10.8%)
Ongoing
3 (8.1%)
Euthanized
2 (5.4%)

Steroid Injection Adverse Event Insights

37 reports name Steroid Injection; 6 recorded a death outcome (16.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Steroid Injection. Administration routes: Unknown, Intramuscular, Intravenous, Parenteral.

By species: Cat (20 reports), Dog (17 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (13), Shepherd Dog - German (2), Chihuahua (2).

Leading clinical signs: Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (7), Vomiting (6), Weight loss (6), Erythema (for urticaria see Immune SOC) (4). Outcome, 37 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 51.4%.

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.