Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Zyrtec

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

53
adverse-event reports
11.3%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
6
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.
53
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
11.3%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Zyrtec

Administration Routes

OralUnknown

Species Affected

Dog 46
Cat 7

Most Affected Breeds

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

Most Reported Reactions

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

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
30 (56.6%)
Outcome Unknown
9 (17.0%)
Recovered/Normal
8 (15.1%)
Euthanized
5 (9.4%)
Died
1 (1.9%)

Zyrtec Adverse Event Insights

53 reports name Zyrtec; 6 recorded a death outcome (11.3% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Zyrtec. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown.

By species: Dog (46 reports), Cat (7 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (5), Terrier - Bull - American Pit (4), Domestic Shorthair (4).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (6), Lack of efficacy - NOS (6), Death by euthanasia (5), Overdose (5). Outcome, 53 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 56.6%.

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.