Skip to main content
Start triage

Start triage first, then route to emergency care.

Need urgent help? Start triage first, then route to emergency care.

Meds A-Z

Diphenhydramine Hcl

Detailed information about Diphenhydramine Hcl

Official label facts Owner quick guide first Marketing clearly labeled

Veterinary professional?

Showing simplified owner view. Switch to Vet View for full technical detail.

Add to My Pet's Meds

Choose a pet, confirm current or past, and optionally add reminder notes.

Sign in to save this medication to your pet profile.

Sign in to continue

Reviewed / Updated / Sources

Reviewed: Not available

Updated: February 12, 2026, 10:44 PM UTC

Sources:

Pet Owner Quick Guide

Start here first for the simple next-step summary.

Used for:

Your vet decides this. Here's what owners typically ask/watch for.

What to watch for:

  • Vomiting (1 reports)
  • Loss of appetite (1 reports)
  • Injection site bruising (1 reports)

When to call the vet:

  • Repeated vomiting or diarrhea.
  • Severe lethargy (hard to wake, very low energy).
  • Collapse or fainting.
  • Trouble breathing.
  • Facial swelling or hives.
  • Blood in vomit or stool.

What to ask your vet today:

  • Is this medicine the right fit for my pet’s current symptoms?
  • Which warning signs mean I should call back right away?
  • How should I handle missed doses or refusal to take the medicine?
Safety & side effects

What to watch:

  • Vomiting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Injection site bruising

Most reported reactions:

  • Vomiting (1 reports)
  • Loss of appetite (1 reports)
  • Injection site bruising (1 reports)

When to call your vet:

  • Repeated vomiting or diarrhea.
  • Severe lethargy (hard to wake, very low energy).
  • Collapse or fainting.
  • Trouble breathing.

Data freshness: source data appears current.

Latest refresh: Mar 21, 2026, 10:01 a.m.

Data freshness
  • Medication catalog: Source Roxee | Refreshed Feb 12, 2026, 10:44 PM UTC
  • Animal Drug Product Listing Directory (NDC): Source FDA | Refreshed Mar 21, 2026, 10:01 AM UTC
    Package/product NDCs from FDA’s electronic listing directory (XLS).
  • openFDA reaction terms: Source FDA openFDA | Refreshed Feb 9, 2026, 3:14 AM UTC
  • openFDA case summaries: Source FDA openFDA | Refreshed Feb 9, 2026, 3:21 AM UTC
Image coming soon
Diphenhydramine Hcl

Diphenhydramine Hcl

Drug type: Generic ingredient • Generic profile No FDA branded products linked

Species: Both

Manufacturer: Not available (source)

Quick Facts

Official label facts first, then secondary summaries. Marketing content is separated below.

Species: Both
Manufacturer: Not available

Adverse Reactions

Snapshot first, detailed rows second. This section summarizes signal data and is not a diagnosis.

Tap or hover a reaction to see what it means in plain language.

Tracked signals
32
Reported cases
32
Serious reports
30
Species represented
2
Grouped by Body System
Digestive (5) · Vomiting, Loss of appetite, Diarrhea Skin & allergy (1) · Application site hair loss Behavior (1) · Anxiety Other (25) · Injection site bruising, Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia, Icterus
Most Reported Reactions
Reaction Body system Cases Species Serious cases
Digestive 1 Dog 1
Digestive 1 Cat 1
Other 1 Dog 1
Other 1 Dog 1
Other 1 Dog 1
Other 1 Dog 1
Other 1 Cat 1
Other 1 Cat 1

Species coverage: Cat (17) Dog (15)

View detailed reaction table
Reaction Body system Species Seriousness Frequency Reports
Digestive Dog Serious - 1
Digestive Cat Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Digestive Dog Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Dog Non-serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Digestive Cat Serious - 1
Digestive Cat Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Skin & allergy Cat Serious - 1
Behavior Dog Non-serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Other Dog Serious - 1
Other Cat Serious - 1
Source metadata:
Veterinary reference (advanced)

Canonical medication sections are above. This legacy block remains available for deeper cross-reference without cluttering the primary workflow.

At a Glance

Quick facts and links to official labeling and safety signals.

Data freshness
  • Medication catalog: Source Roxee | Refreshed Feb 12, 2026, 10:44 PM UTC
  • Animal Drug Product Listing Directory (NDC): Source FDA | Refreshed Mar 21, 2026, 10:01 AM UTC
    Package/product NDCs from FDA’s electronic listing directory (XLS).
  • openFDA reaction terms: Source FDA openFDA | Refreshed Feb 9, 2026, 3:14 AM UTC
  • openFDA case summaries: Source FDA openFDA | Refreshed Feb 9, 2026, 3:21 AM UTC
Official (FDA)
Identity: Generic ingredient • No FDA branded products linked
No official FDA brand rows linked yet for this ingredient.
Case-reported brands (openFDA): MSK
Catalog species: Both
Safety (openFDA)
Top reactions: Dog 8 Cat 8 View
Case summaries: 10 (showing 8) View
openFDA reports are unverified and do not prove causation.

Diagnosis Codes

Diagnosis-code mappings are not available for this medication yet.

Counseling and Monitoring Highlights

Global Pet owner/Vet mode is controlled in the header. This section avoids duplicate in-page persona tabs.

Top reaction signals
Vomiting (1) Loss of appetite (1) Injection site bruising (1) Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia (1) Icterus (1) Hypothermia (1) Hyperglycaemia (1) High pancreatic-specific lipase (1)

Data Sources & Change Log

Every non-trivial field is expected to include provenance and update timestamps.

Official 1 Clinical 0 Manufacturer 0 Marketing 0
Current Field Facts
  • side_effects: Top reported reactions (openFDA): Vomiting, Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological'), Facial swelling (see also 'Skin'), Hives (… (Official, 2026-02-12)
Recent Revisions
  • side_effects updated 2026-02-12 22:44 by etl_backfill • Backfilled from existing medication fields

Top Reported Reactions (openFDA)

De-duplicated reaction terms grouped by body system from FDA openFDA reports (not verified; does not prove causation).

Digestive
Vomiting (1) • Dog Loss of appetite (1) • Cat Diarrhea (1) • Dog Bloody diarrhoea (1) • Cat Blood in vomit (1) • Cat

Showing top 5 for Digestive.

Skin & allergy
Application site hair loss (1) • Cat

Showing top 5 for Skin & allergy.

Behavior
Anxiety (1) • Dog

Showing top 5 for Behavior.

Other
Injection site bruising (1) • Dog Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia (1) • Dog Icterus (1) • Dog Hypothermia (1) • Dog Hyperglycaemia (1) • Cat
Show more (20)
High pancreatic-specific lipase (1) • Cat Heart murmur (1) • Dog Fever (1) • Cat Elevated total bilirubin (1) • Cat Dysphoria (1) • Dog Dermatitis (1) • Cat Dehydration (1) • Dog Death by euthanasia (1) • Dog Death (1) • Cat Cough (1) • Dog Corneal ulcer (1) • Cat Constipation (1) • Dog Blepharospasm (1) • Cat Bilirubinuria (1) • Cat Application site irritation (1) • Cat Anaphylaxis (1) • Cat Anaemia NOS (1) • Dog Adipsia (1) • Cat Active urine sediment (1) • Dog Abnormal cytology (1) • Cat

Showing top 5 for Other.

Data source: FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary adverse event reports.

Adverse Event Case Summaries (openFDA)

These are individual FDA adverse event reports. They are unverified and do not prove the medication caused the reaction.

Dog, Terrier - Yorkshire, Female, 11 year, 2.57 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unknown • Reactions: Tiredness (lethargy), Not eating, Diarrhea, Constipation, Jaundice… • Outcome: Euthanized

  • Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2024-US-050996
  • Serious AE: Yes
  • Treated For AE: No
  • Sex: Female
  • Age: 11.00 Year
  • Weight: 2.570 Kilogram
  • Case-reported brand: MSK
  • Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
  • Route: Unknown
Reactions Reported:
Tiredness (lethargy) Not eating Diarrhea Constipation Jaundice Dehydration Tense abdomen Vomiting Hypothermia Heart murmur Death by euthanasia Intentional misuse
Outcomes: Euthanized

Dog, Terrier - Yorkshire, Female, 10 year, 4.6 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unknown • Reactions: Cough, Anxiety • Outcome: Ongoing

  • Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2024-US-029316
  • Serious AE: No
  • Treated For AE: Yes
  • Sex: Female
  • Age: 10.00 Year
  • Weight: 4.600 Kilogram
  • Case-reported brand: MSK
  • Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
  • Route: Unknown
Reactions Reported:
Cough Anxiety
Outcomes: Ongoing

Dog, Pit Bull, Female, 6.5 year, 43 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Injection, Intramuscular, Dose: 1 dose per animal, Frequency: 1 per day • Reactions: Death by euthanasia, Lateral recumbency, Injection site bruising, Injection site swelling, Injection site serosanguinous discharge… • Outcome: Euthanized

  • Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2023-US-014852
  • Serious AE: Yes
  • Treated For AE: Yes
  • Sex: Female
  • Age: 6.50 Year
  • Weight: 43.000 Kilogram
  • Case-reported brand: MSK
  • Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
  • Route: Intramuscular
  • Form: Injection
  • Dose: 1 dose per animal
  • Frequency: 1 per day
Reactions Reported:
Death by euthanasia Lateral recumbency Injection site bruising Injection site swelling Injection site serosanguinous discharge Unable to rise Dysphoria Swollen limb
Outcomes: Euthanized

Dog, Maltese, Female, 5 year, 4.218 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Solution, Intramuscular • Reactions: Tiredness (lethargy), Other abnormal test result NOS, Anaemia NOS, Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia, Active urine sediment • Outcome: Ongoing

  • Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2022-US-060159
  • Serious AE: Yes
  • Treated For AE: Yes
  • Sex: Female
  • Age: 5.00 Year
  • Weight: 4.218 Kilogram
  • Case-reported brand: MSK
  • Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
  • Route: Intramuscular
  • Form: Solution
Reactions Reported:
Tiredness (lethargy) Other abnormal test result NOS Anaemia NOS Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia Active urine sediment
Outcomes: Ongoing

Dog, Crossbred Canine/dog, Male, 10 year, 31.751 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Injection, solution, Intravenous, Dose: 1.75 mL per animal • Reactions: Anaemia NOS, Weight loss, Icterus, Saline slide agglutination test, positive, Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia… • Outcome: Ongoing

  • Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2022-US-035613
  • Serious AE: Yes
  • Treated For AE: Yes
  • Sex: Male
  • Age: 10.00 Year
  • Weight: 31.751 Kilogram
  • Case-reported brand: MSK
  • Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
  • Route: Intravenous
  • Form: Injection, solution
  • Dose: 1.75 mL per animal
Reactions Reported:
Anaemia NOS Weight loss Icterus Saline slide agglutination test, positive Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia Thrombocytopenia
Outcomes: Ongoing

Cat, Domestic Shorthair, Female, 19 month, 4.468 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unassigned, Unknown • Reactions: Vomiting, Fever, Diarrhea • Outcome: Ongoing

  • Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2021-US-057884
  • Serious AE: Yes
  • Treated For AE: Yes
  • Sex: Female
  • Age: 19.00 Month
  • Weight: 4.468 Kilogram
  • Case-reported brand: MSK
  • Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
  • Route: Unknown
  • Form: Unassigned
Reactions Reported:
Vomiting Fever Diarrhea
Outcomes: Ongoing

Cat, Domestic Shorthair, Male, 3 year • Drug: MSK, Injection, solution, Unknown • Reactions: Anaphylaxis, Bloody diarrhoea, Vomiting, Fever, Tachycardia… • Outcome: Recovered/Normal

  • Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2021-US-057809
  • Serious AE: Yes
  • Treated For AE: Yes
  • Sex: Male
  • Age: 3.00 Year
  • Case-reported brand: MSK
  • Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
  • Route: Unknown
  • Form: Injection, solution
Reactions Reported:
Anaphylaxis Bloody diarrhoea Vomiting Fever Tachycardia Tachypnoea Tiredness (lethargy) Seizure NOS
Outcomes: Recovered/Normal

Cat, Domestic Shorthair, Female, 13.5 year, 5.67 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Liquid, Unknown • Reactions: Vomiting, Blood in vomit, Weight loss, Loss of appetite, Elevated total bilirubin… • Outcome: Died

  • Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2021-US-055950
  • Serious AE: Yes
  • Treated For AE: Yes
  • Sex: Female
  • Age: 13.50 Year
  • Weight: 5.670 Kilogram
  • Case-reported brand: MSK
  • Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
  • Route: Unknown
  • Form: Liquid
Reactions Reported:
Vomiting Blood in vomit Weight loss Loss of appetite Elevated total bilirubin Hyperglycaemia Bilirubinuria Adipsia Death High pancreatic-specific lipase
Outcomes: Died

Data source: FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary adverse event reports.

Overdose Information

No approved overdose-management text is linked yet. If overdose is suspected, contact a veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately.

Storage & Handling

No approved storage guidance is linked yet for this ingredient. Use manufacturer packaging and veterinary guidance for handling/storage.

Share Your Thoughts

Let others know your experience or advice regarding this medication.

This medication has not been reviewed by a veterinarian yet.