Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Zyrtec

56 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Zyrtec. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#1055 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
56
adverse-event reports
10.7%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Zyrtec ranks #1044 of 2679 by total reports (56) and #514 of 1130 by death-coded share (10.7%). National dual: Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad is #1 of 2679 drugs by total adverse-event reports (149,624) at death-coded-share rank 965 of 1130 drugs with at least 50 reports (2.3%); separately, Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) is #1 highest death-coded share at 97.8% (report rank #821).

149,624
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad reports (#1)
97.8%
Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) death share (#1)
#1044
This drug, reports of 2679
#514
This drug, death share of 1130

Report volume reflects how common a breed or drug is and how often owners and vets file — not actual risk. Death-coded share ranks are limited to entries with enough reports to be meaningful. The two maps do not agree at #1.

Release-over-release change

What changed in the latest FDA data snapshot

PlainBreed reconstructed the prior snapshot from dated openFDA partitions through 2025 Q4, then compared it with the 2026-07-27 openFDA export. Zyrtec has 56 reports now versus 55 in that prior snapshot: 1 more (1.8%).

Report change
+1
Death-coded reports
+0
Death-coded share
−0.2 pts

This compares reported-event counts in two source snapshots. It does not establish a change in real-world risk, product safety, or disease incidence.

Subscribe to Zyrtec changes

Signature read: report volume at 56 is the most distinctive stamp on Zyrtec's FDA AER row.

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
56
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
10.7%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Zyrtec

Administration Routes

OralUnknown

Species Affected

Dog 49
Cat 7

Most Affected Breeds

Terrier - Bull - American Pit 5
Retriever - Labrador 5
Terrier - Yorkshire 4
Domestic Shorthair 4
Retriever - Golden 3
Chihuahua 3
Pit Bull 2
Bulldog - English 2
Poodle (unspecified) 2
Bulldog - American 2

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 7
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 6
Seizure NOS 6
Lack of efficacy - NOS 6
Death by euthanasia 5
Overdose 5
Pruritus 4
Ataxia 4
Intentional misuse 4
Behavioural disorder NOS 3
Restlessness 3
Cough 3

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
30 (53.6%)
Outcome Unknown
10 (17.9%)
Recovered/Normal
10 (17.9%)
Euthanized
5 (8.9%)
Died
1 (1.8%)

Zyrtec Adverse Event Insights

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.

Nationwide drugs with similar profiles

Two openFDA-derived peer sets for Zyrtec, both floored at ≥50 reports so the neighborhoods stay in the advertised mass.

What to do with this drug

A report does not prove a drug caused the reaction; consult a veterinarian before acting on this data.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (CVM AER) · 2025

openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (FDA CVM) for Zyrtec (#1055 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 10.7%. PlainBreed drug row · report volume stamp 56 · vintage 2025.

Informational only. FDA adverse-event reports are voluntary and do not prove causation; consult a veterinarian before acting on them. Verify with FDA CVM →