Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Tetracycline

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

33
adverse-event reports
30.3%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
6
Death - 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.
33
Total Reports
10
Deaths Reported
30.3%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Tetracycline

Administration Routes

OralUnknownIntraocularIntravenous

Species Affected

Dog 18
Cattle 6
Chicken 3
Pig 3
Unknown 2
Horse 1

Most Affected Breeds

Shepherd Dog - German 3
Aberdeen Angus 3
Pig (unknown) 3
Bulldog 2
Cattle (other) 2
Unknown 2
Chicken (unknown) 2
Crossbred Bovine/Cattle 1
Poodle (unspecified) 1
Sheepdog - Shetland 1

Most Reported Reactions

Death 6
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 6
Emesis 4
Depression 3
Diarrhoea 3
Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS 3
Increased mortality rate 3
Behavioural disorder NOS 2
Decreased appetite 2
Lack of efficacy - NOS 2
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 2
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) 2

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
12 (30.8%)
Died
9 (23.1%)
Ongoing
8 (20.5%)
Outcome Unknown
6 (15.4%)
Recovered with Sequela
2 (5.1%)
Euthanized
2 (5.1%)

Tetracycline Adverse Event Insights

33 reports name Tetracycline; 10 recorded a death outcome (30.3% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Tetracycline. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown, Intraocular, Intravenous.

By species: Dog (18 reports), Cattle (6 reports), Chicken (3 reports). By breed: Shepherd Dog - German (3), Aberdeen Angus (3), Pig (unknown) (3).

Leading clinical signs: Death (6), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (6), Emesis (4), Depression (3). Outcome, 39 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 30.8%.

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.