Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Unspecified Benadryl

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

11
adverse-event reports
18.2%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
3
Vomiting - 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.
11
Total Reports
2
Deaths Reported
18.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Unspecified Benadryl

Administration Routes

OralUnknown

Species Affected

Dog 11

Most Affected Breeds

Shih Tzu 2
Retriever - Labrador 2
Pug 2
Collie - Rough-haired 1
Maltese 1
Retriever - Golden 1
Chihuahua 1
Sheepdog (unspecified) 1

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 3
Lack of efficacy - NOS 3
Lumbar pain 2
Death by euthanasia 2
Diarrhoea 2
Skin and tissue infection NOS 2
Drinking a lot 1
Frequent urination 1
Inappropriate schedule of drug administration 1
Eyelid ptosis - neurologic (see also Drooping eyelid NOS) 1
Facial swelling (see also Skin) 1
Mass NOS 1

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
4 (36.4%)
Ongoing
3 (27.3%)
Outcome Unknown
2 (18.2%)
Euthanized
2 (18.2%)

Unspecified Benadryl Adverse Event Insights

11 reports name Unspecified Benadryl; 2 recorded a death outcome (18.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Unspecified Benadryl. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown.

By species: Dog (11 reports). By breed: Shih Tzu (2), Retriever - Labrador (2), Pug (2).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (3), Lack of efficacy - NOS (3), Lumbar pain (2), Death by euthanasia (2). Outcome, 11 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 36.4%.

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.