Vitamin A

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11 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA

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
1820.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Vitamin A

Administration Routes

UnknownOral

Species Affected

Dog 10
Cat 1

Most Affected Breeds

Mastiff - Tibetan 3
Domestic Shorthair 1
Boxer (German Boxer) 1
Spaniel - Springer English 1
Terrier - Boston 1
Spitz - German Pomeranian 1
Poodle - Standard 1
Beagle 1
Retriever - Golden 1

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 4
Mast cell tumour 3
Cough 2
Dermal mass 2
Gingival hyperplasia 2
Spleen and reticulo-endothelial system disorder NOS 1
Pericardial effusion 1
Jaundice 1
Nephropathy 1
Pulmonary congestion 1
Death 1
Anorexia 1

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
3 (27.3%)
Recovered with Sequela
3 (27.3%)
Outcome Unknown
3 (27.3%)
Died
1 (9.1%)
Euthanized
1 (9.1%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 11
Reports involving death 2
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 1820.0%
Distinct species in reports 2
Distinct breeds in reports 9
Distinct reactions reported 20
Active ingredients on file 1

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reporting (CVM AER). Counts reflect voluntary reports only.

Vitamin A Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 11 adverse event reports referencing Vitamin A, including 2 reports in which the animal died — a 1820.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Vitamin A. Reported administration routes include Unknown, Oral. These numbers reflect voluntary submissions from pet owners, veterinarians, and manufacturers and therefore under-represent mild events and over-represent severe ones — a pattern the FDA has documented repeatedly for pharmacovigilance datasets.

The species most frequently named in Vitamin A reports are Dog (10 reports), Cat (1 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Mastiff - Tibetan (3), Domestic Shorthair (1), Boxer (German Boxer) (1) appear most often — though breed popularity and ownership density shape these counts as much as any drug-specific sensitivity. This distribution matters because the same active ingredient can behave very differently across body sizes, ages, and species physiology.

The most commonly reported clinical signs associated with Vitamin A are Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (4), Mast cell tumour (3), Cough (2), Dermal mass (2). Of the 11 reports with a coded outcome, Ongoing is the leading category at 27.3%. Because FDA adverse event data describes correlation rather than causation, these figures are best used to frame informed questions with a veterinarian and to compare reporting patterns across related products — not as a standalone safety verdict on Vitamin A.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports Data reflects voluntary submissions and may not represent actual incidence rates

Related

Data sourced from official AKC, AVMA, ACVO, and breed-club veterinary references. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBreed Editorial