Death after Doxycycline in dogs

519 reports to the FDA describe death in dogs given Doxycycline. That is 13% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 5.2% across reports for all dog medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

519Reports

98%Marked serious

0.0%Recovered

100%Died or euthanised

17 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

51 12%

1–2 days

50 12%

3–7 days

59 14%

1–4 weeks

86 21%

Over a month

163 40%

How the animals did

Still unwell when reported

1 0.2%

Died

229 44%

Euthanised

289 56%

Problems reported at the same time

235 45%

197 38%

179 34%

166 32%

140 27%

115 22%

107 21%

85 16%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

153

8–11 years

159

12+ years

About this medicine

Doxycycline treats bacterial and tick-borne infections.

Questions owners ask

Can Doxycycline cause death in dogs?: 519 reports link the two, but a report alone does not prove the medicine was the cause: other illnesses, other medicines or coincidence can be involved. Your vet can judge it for your animal.
How soon after a dose was it reported?: In half of the reports with dates, it started within 17 days of the first dose.
What should I do?: Don't give another dose until you've spoken to your vet, and keep the packaging so you can tell them the product and dose. Your vet can also report it to the FDA (or you can, through the manufacturer or FDA form 1932a).

Death with similar medicines

Death after Amoxicillin + Clavulanate (Clavamox) 830 reports · 15% of its reports
Death after Cefovecin (Convenia) 715 reports · 19% of its reports
Death after Enrofloxacin (Baytril) 748 reports · 20% of its reports
Death after Metronidazole 603 reports · 20% of its reports
Death after Amoxicillin 276 reports · 20% of its reports

All reported side effects of Doxycycline in dogs · Medicines most reported with death