VETERINARY TEAM REFERENCE

DEA & state schedules

Scheduling applies to the medication, not to the patient. This independent reference is not affiliated with the DEA.

Loratadine

FEDERAL STATUS

Not federally scheduled

The identified ingredients in this entry are not listed in the reviewed federal schedules. Prescription-only status, product restrictions and state law are separate questions.

Federal source ↗

State / prescribing or dispensing jurisdiction

STATE STATUS

Select a jurisdiction

Choose the state relevant to prescribing or dispensing. Patient residence alone may not determine every applicable rule.

What each federal schedule means

Highlighted rows match the verified federal or selected state schedule. The schedule describes legal control and abuse potential; it does not rank clinical usefulness or establish a dose.

Federal Schedules I–V: meaning and practice implications
Schedule	Meaning and practice
I	High abuse potential; no currently accepted medical use in U.S. treatment; lacks accepted safety under medical supervision. In practice: Not available for routine veterinary prescribing. Authorized research is a separate pathway.
II	High abuse potential; accepted medical use, sometimes with severe restrictions; abuse can cause severe dependence. In practice: No prescription refills under federal law. Strict prescribing, security and record requirements apply.
III	Less abuse potential than I or II; accepted medical use; abuse can cause moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence. In practice: Federal prescriptions allow up to five authorized refills within six months. State rules may be stricter.
IV	Lower abuse potential than III; accepted medical use; limited dependence risk relative to III. In practice: The same federal five-refill / six-month prescription limit applies. Controlled-drug handling still applies.
V	Lower abuse potential than IV; accepted medical use; limited dependence risk relative to IV. In practice: Still controlled. Check authorized refills and state limits; do not automatically apply the III–IV refill rule.

What this means for the chart

For a controlled medication, confirm the prescriber’s authority for the applicable schedule, the exact formulation and quantity, authorized refills, secure handling, and required inventory / dispensing records. Check the state’s veterinary rules and any prescription monitoring program (PDMP) requirements or exemptions.

A PDMP reporting requirement does not by itself make a drug scheduled. “Not federally scheduled” does not mean over the counter, risk-free, or exempt from state law. States may use additional categories, such as Schedule VI, outside the federal I–V system.

← Medication & Supplement Reference

VETERINARY TEAM REFERENCE · MEDICATION

Loratadine

An H1 antihistamine identified by the Claritin brand. The cited tablet is labeled for human allergy symptoms; veterinary selection must account for the diagnosis, species and exact package.

H1 antihistamineProduct-specific clinical reference

Updated October 16, 2026 · Sources and review status below

For veterinarians and veterinary staff. Product-label information is distinct from extra-label clinical practice. This is not a complete prescribing formulary or an automated interaction screen. Verify the current label, exact formulation, patient and species-specific clinical reference before use. Independent veterinary/pharmacy review remains pending.

Prescribing overview

This entry covers single-ingredient Claritin, not decongestant combinations.

Key prescribing checks

The human label calls for professional assessment with liver or kidney disease.
Review the entire active-ingredient panel before recommending an over-the-counter product for an animal; the human directions do not supply a veterinary regimen.

Uses by species

Approval and evidence apply to the named product, species, route and indication. An extra-label use requires its own prescribing assessment; a human indication is not an animal approval.

Veterinary patients

Not established by reviewed human label

Allergy symptom treatment in animals is not established by the human Drug Facts label.

Animal use requires a veterinarian's separate diagnosis and prescription.

Use / indication source ↗

Pharmacology & pharmacokinetics

Mechanism and clinical role

Blocks histamine H1-mediated symptoms.

Absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination

Veterinary absorption, metabolism and elimination are not established by the reviewed OTC label.

SAFETY REFERENCE · PRODUCT & SPECIES SPECIFIC

Contraindications & cautions

Contraindications identify circumstances where the source says a product should not be used. Precautions call for assessment or monitoring. Interactions identify combinations to review. They are distinct categories; this summary does not replace a full interaction check or the current product label.

Claritin

Human single-ingredient oral tablet

Contraindications · when not to use

Drug Facts prohibits use after an allergic reaction to the product or its ingredients.

Precautions & monitoring

Professional review is needed for liver or kidney disease and pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Human label; this does not establish veterinary approval or an animal treatment protocol.

Combination decongestant products are outside this scope.

Safety sources checked: October 16, 2026. Selected label information; independent veterinary or veterinary-pharmacy review remains pending. A label for dogs, cats, horses or humans does not establish safety for another species.

Adverse effects

Excess use may produce drowsiness; allergic reactions require urgent attention.

These are selected source-reported effects, not incidence estimates or an exhaustive list. Spontaneous postmarketing reports do not by themselves establish frequency or causality.

Dosing & administration

Verify the source before prescribing. The regimens below summarize selected veterinary product labels, not every accepted veterinary use. They are not automatic substitutions between brands or formulations. Renal/hepatic disease, concurrent therapy, age, indication and clinical response can require a different plan.

A verified veterinary dose has not been entered for this product. Human-label dosing must not be used as an animal regimen. Consult a current species-specific clinical source and the prescribing veterinarian.

A veterinary dose was not verified from an approved animal label; human dosing is not an animal regimen.

Extra-label prescribing and food-animal residue requirements are separate from labeled regimens. FDA extra-label-use guidance ↗

Drug & supplement interactions

This is a selected interaction reference, not an automated or comprehensive combination checker. Reconcile prescription drugs, nonprescription products, supplements and recent treatment changes.

A product-specific interaction summary has not been established here. An empty list must not be interpreted as “no interactions.” Review the full source and a species-appropriate clinical reference.

Monitoring

Review kidney/liver disease and the complete ingredient list.

Client counseling

Never substitute combination cold/allergy products; contact the veterinarian after accidental overdose.

This section supports the veterinary team's discharge discussion; it does not replace the product’s Client Information Sheet where one is required.

Storage & handling

Store at 20–25°C; secure from children and animals.

Brands, formulations & ingredient identity

Active ingredients

Loratadine

Claritin is loratadine; cetirizine and chlorpheniramine are different drugs, even though all are antihistamines.

Only the single-ingredient product is represented. Do not treat combination cold, allergy or decongestant products as interchangeable.

Shared ingredients do not establish interchangeable concentrations, routes, release properties, species labeling or regional availability.

Claritin

Formulation: Single-ingredient oral tablet
Label / product scope: Human product

Human OTC label; veterinary use requires a patient-specific decision.

Product label / source ↗

References & review status

Clinical reference updated October 16, 2026. Independent veterinary or veterinary-pharmacy review not yet completed. Evidence gaps remain explicitly identified; this page does not claim equivalence to a comprehensive, professionally reviewed veterinary formulary.

01DailyMed: loratadine product labeling ↗

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Prescribing overview

Key prescribing checks

Uses by species

Veterinary patients

Pharmacology & pharmacokinetics

Mechanism and clinical role

Absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination

Contraindications & cautions

Contraindications · when not to use

Precautions & monitoring

Adverse effects

Dosing & administration

Drug & supplement interactions

Monitoring

Client counseling

Storage & handling

Brands, formulations & ingredient identity

Active ingredients

Claritin

References & review status

Related Resources