Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Vitamin C

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

51
adverse-event reports
13.7%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
12
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.
51
Total Reports
7
Deaths Reported
13.7%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Vitamin C

Administration Routes

OralUnknownSubcutaneousIntravenous

Species Affected

Dog 42
Human 5
Cat 4

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 9
Unknown 5
Domestic Shorthair 3
Spaniel (unspecified) 2
Dog (unknown) 2
Spitz - German Pomeranian 2
Poodle - Standard 2
Retriever - Golden 2
Shepherd Dog - German 2
Schnauzer - Miniature 1

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 12
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 9
Emesis 6
Diarrhoea 6
Elevated liver enzymes 6
Other abnormal test result NOS 5
Anorexia 5
Depression 5
Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 4
Death 4
Dehydration 4
Itching 4

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
20 (39.2%)
Outcome Unknown
16 (31.4%)
Ongoing
6 (11.8%)
Died
4 (7.8%)
Euthanized
3 (5.9%)
Recovered with Sequela
2 (3.9%)

Vitamin C Adverse Event Insights

51 reports name Vitamin C; 7 recorded a death outcome (13.7% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Vitamin C. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown, Subcutaneous, Intravenous.

By species: Dog (42 reports), Human (5 reports), Cat (4 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (9), Unknown (5), Domestic Shorthair (3).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (12), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (9), Emesis (6), Diarrhoea (6). Outcome, 51 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 39.2%.

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.