Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Xylazine Hcl

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

121
adverse-event reports
25.6%
death-coded share
Horse
most-reported species
19
INEFFECTIVE, ANESTHESIA - 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.
121
Total Reports
31
Deaths Reported
25.6%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Xylazine Hcl

Administration Routes

IntravenousUnknownIntramuscularSubcutaneousIntra-ArterialIntraperitoneal

Species Affected

Horse 51
Dog 34
Cat 24
Rat 3
Rabbit 2
Pig 2
Other Birds 1
Mouse 1
Other Rodents 1
Cattle 1

Most Affected Breeds

Horse (unknown) 21
Quarter Horse 17
Domestic Shorthair 13
Thoroughbred 7
Retriever - Labrador 7
Dog (unknown) 5
Unknown 4
Boxer (German Boxer) 4
Cat (other) 4
Domestic Longhair 3

Most Reported Reactions

INEFFECTIVE, ANESTHESIA 19
Death 15
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 11
Death by euthanasia 10
Other abnormal test result NOS 9
Lack of efficacy - NOS 9
Tachycardia 9
Hypothermia 8
Seizure NOS 8
Behavioural disorder NOS 8
INEFFECTIVE, SEDATION 7
Anorexia 6

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
68 (54.4%)
Died
20 (16.0%)
Ongoing
16 (12.8%)
Euthanized
11 (8.8%)
Outcome Unknown
10 (8.0%)

Xylazine Hcl Adverse Event Insights

121 reports name Xylazine Hcl; 31 recorded a death outcome (25.6% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Xylazine Hcl. Administration routes: Intravenous, Unknown, Intramuscular, Subcutaneous.

By species: Horse (51 reports), Dog (34 reports), Cat (24 reports). By breed: Horse (unknown) (21), Quarter Horse (17), Domestic Shorthair (13).

Leading clinical signs: INEFFECTIVE, ANESTHESIA (19), Death (15), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (11), Death by euthanasia (10). Outcome, 125 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 54.4%.

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.