Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Unspecified Ear Cleaner

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

87
adverse-event reports
4.6%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
16
Lack of efficacy - NOS - 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.
87
Total Reports
4
Deaths Reported
4.6%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Unspecified Ear Cleaner

Administration Routes

Auricular (Otic)UnknownOtherTopical

Species Affected

Dog 65
Cat 22

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 14
Retriever - Labrador 12
Crossbred Canine/dog 6
Terrier - Yorkshire 4
Retriever - Golden 4
Shih Tzu 3
Beagle 3
Pug 3
Great Pyrenees 2
Dachshund (unspecified) 2

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy - NOS 16
Ataxia 13
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 9
Anorexia 9
Head shake - ear disorder 8
Other abnormal test result NOS 7
Head tilt - ear disorder 7
Nystagmus 6
Vomiting 5
Ear pain 5
Ear infection NOS 5
Horner's syndrome 5

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
53 (60.9%)
Recovered/Normal
16 (18.4%)
Ongoing
13 (14.9%)
Died
2 (2.3%)
Euthanized
2 (2.3%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (1.1%)

Unspecified Ear Cleaner Adverse Event Insights

87 reports name Unspecified Ear Cleaner; 4 recorded a death outcome (4.6% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Unspecified Ear Cleaner. Administration routes: Auricular (Otic), Unknown, Other, Topical.

By species: Dog (65 reports), Cat (22 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (14), Retriever - Labrador (12), Crossbred Canine/dog (6).

Leading clinical signs: Lack of efficacy - NOS (16), Ataxia (13), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (9), Anorexia (9). Outcome, 87 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 60.9%.

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.