Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Unspecified Steroids

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

22
adverse-event reports
40.9%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
7
Death by euthanasia - 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.
22
Total Reports
9
Deaths Reported
40.9%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Unspecified Steroids

Administration Routes

UnknownOralOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 19
Cat 3

Most Affected Breeds

Shepherd Dog - Australian 4
Shih Tzu 2
Rottweiler 2
Domestic Shorthair 2
Retriever - Labrador 1
Pit Bull 1
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 1
Terrier - West Highland White 1
Terrier - Bull - Staffordshire 1
Dog (unknown) 1

Most Reported Reactions

Death by euthanasia 7
Pain NOS 5
Vomiting 4
Seizure NOS 3
Lack of efficacy - NOS 3
Hypokalaemia 3
Decreased haematocrit 3
Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia 3
Ataxia 3
Fever 3
Diarrhoea 3
Anaemia NOS 2

Outcome Breakdown

Euthanized
6 (27.3%)
Outcome Unknown
6 (27.3%)
Ongoing
6 (27.3%)
Died
3 (13.6%)
Recovered/Normal
1 (4.5%)

Unspecified Steroids Adverse Event Insights

22 reports name Unspecified Steroids; 9 recorded a death outcome (40.9% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Unspecified Steroids. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral, Ophthalmic.

By species: Dog (19 reports), Cat (3 reports). By breed: Shepherd Dog - Australian (4), Shih Tzu (2), Rottweiler (2).

Leading clinical signs: Death by euthanasia (7), Pain NOS (5), Vomiting (4), Seizure NOS (3). Outcome, 22 coded reports: Euthanized leads at 27.3%.

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.