Quick answer: search the product name, active ingredient, or NADA/ANADA application number in FDA’s Animal Drugs @ FDA. That database includes most approved and conditionally approved animal drugs, but not drugs listed in FDA’s separate Index for certain minor species. Match the exact product, species, intended use, and label; then ask the prescribing veterinarian to confirm how the medicine applies to your animal and the prescribed dose.

Reviewed November 3, 2026. Method: this guide summarizes FDA’s public lookup instructions and links to FDA’s live databases. It does not assess a product or provide medication or dosing advice.

How to check an animal drug

1. Read the package label or prescription information. Note the exact brand or proprietary name, active ingredient, dosage form, strength, animal species, and any application number. Use the actual product label when available; names can differ among distributors.
2. Search Animal Drugs @ FDA. Try the proprietary name, active ingredient, or NADA/ANADA number. Open the matching record and review its application status and available label or Freedom of Information (FOI) summary. Check that the species and intended use fit the record.
3. Check the separate FDA Index when relevant. Indexed drugs are for certain minor species and do not appear in Animal Drugs @ FDA or the Green Book. Search the Index by generic or trade name, species, and intended use; read the linked label and its limits.
4. Bring any mismatch to the veterinarian or pharmacist. Share the package or a clear photo of its label and ask whether the product and directions are the ones prescribed for your animal.

Understand what the result means

FDA describes three pathways for legal marketing status for new animal drugs: approval, conditional approval, and indexing. An approved product’s NADA or ANADA record is not interchangeable with another product that merely has the same ingredient. Conditional approval is a distinct status; FDA says these drugs have not yet met the full effectiveness standard, though they may be marketed for labeled use while remaining data are collected. Indexed drugs have legal marketing status for specific uses in certain minor species, but are not FDA-approved.

The approved or conditional record and the product label identify the species and labeled uses. FDA’s review supports safety and effectiveness when an approved drug is used according to its label. A listing does not tell you whether the drug is appropriate for your particular pet, establish a dose for that pet, or authorize changing a prescription.

Do not use these label clues alone

• An NDC number is not proof of animal-drug approval. FDA says an NDC can appear on marketed drugs that have not obtained legal marketing status.
• A prescription caution is not proof of approval. “Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian” is not, by itself, an approval statement.
• “FDA registered,” “FDA inspected,” or similar facility language does not establish that a specific drug product is FDA-approved. Check the application or Index record and the product label.

If you cannot find the product

Check spelling and search by active ingredient or application number. FDA notes that a missing result can mean the product is a human drug, an indexed animal drug, or that it is not approved in the United States. A missing result alone does not establish which explanation applies. FDA also says veterinarians may prescribe approved human or animal drugs for extra-label use under specified conditions. Ask the prescribing veterinarian to explain the status and intended use; do not infer that a product is approved for animals because it was prescribed.

Questions for your veterinary team

• Is this the exact product and strength prescribed for this animal?
• What species, condition, and use does the label cover, and is this prescription extra-label?
• What dose, route, timing, and duration should I follow for this animal?
• What should I do if a dose is missed, the medicine is vomited, or a side effect occurs?
• Where can I get the current client information sheet or label for this prescription?

Do not start, stop, share, split, or change a medicine based on a database search. For a suspected side effect or product defect, contact the veterinarian and follow FDA’s animal drug and device reporting instructions.

Sources and limits

• FDA: How can I tell if a drug is legally marketed for animals? — label application numbers, Animal Drugs @ FDA, Green Book and Index lookup paths, and cautions about NDC numbers and prescription statements.
• FDA: Frequently Asked Questions about Animal Drugs — approval meaning, conditional approval, indexing, extra-label use, and where to find drug information.
• FDA: Animal Drugs @ FDA — live searchable database for most approved and conditionally approved animal drugs.
• FDA: Index of Legally Marketed Unapproved New Animal Drugs for Minor Species — the separate listing for indexed drugs.

This U.S.-oriented guide helps locate FDA status information; it is not a medication recommendation, prescribing service, or substitute for the veterinarian who knows the animal and prescription. FDA databases and product status may change, so check the live record and current label. To record written prices and dates stated by a label, veterinarian, or pharmacy, use the prescription refill cost and date ledger; the worksheet does not determine refill authorization. For visit preparation, see the veterinary visit checklist or organize written questions with the veterinary quote worksheet.