Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Xylazine

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

448
adverse-event reports
32.4%
death-coded share
Horse
most-reported species
94
Death - 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.
448
Total Reports
145
Deaths Reported
32.4%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Xylazine

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousIntramuscularParenteralIntraperitonealSubcutaneousOralOther

Species Affected

Horse 149
Dog 116
Cat 80
Unknown 36
Mouse 18
Cattle 16
Rat 7
Pig 6
Goat 4
Human 4

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 92
Quarter Horse 44
Domestic Shorthair 39
Horse (unknown) 27
Cat (unknown) 25
Dog (unknown) 22
Retriever - Labrador 13
Shepherd Dog - German 9
Horse (other) 7
Appaloosa 6

Most Reported Reactions

Death 94
Lack of efficacy - NOS 91
INEFFECTIVE, SEDATION 58
INEFFECTIVE, ANESTHESIA 36
Death by euthanasia 29
Seizure NOS 26
Color, Abnormal 19
Recovery prolonged 18
Anorexia 17
Vomiting 16
Fever 16
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 16

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
213 (50.5%)
Died
99 (23.5%)
Euthanized
47 (11.1%)
Outcome Unknown
42 (10.0%)
Ongoing
19 (4.5%)
Recovered with Sequela
2 (0.5%)

Xylazine Adverse Event Insights

448 reports name Xylazine; 145 recorded a death outcome (32.4% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Xylazine. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Intramuscular, Parenteral.

By species: Horse (149 reports), Dog (116 reports), Cat (80 reports). By breed: Unknown (92), Quarter Horse (44), Domestic Shorthair (39).

Leading clinical signs: Death (94), Lack of efficacy - NOS (91), INEFFECTIVE, SEDATION (58), INEFFECTIVE, ANESTHESIA (36). Outcome, 422 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 50.5%.

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.