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Breed profile · FDA CVM July 2026 extract

Pit Bull adverse-event record

Adverse-event filings for Pit Bull (Dog) in the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA extract. Browse dog breeds, reactions, and outcomes below.

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#12 of 510
by report volume (all breeds)
17,865
FDA CVM reports on file
3.1%
death-coded share of reports
#223 of 275
by death-coded share (≥50 reports)

How the 17,865 reports break down

By recorded gender -- every report on file for Pit Bull, no filtering.

Annual report volume

Annual adverse-event report trend Yearly FDA CVM adverse-event report counts for this breed. 1,369 1,026.75 684.5 342.25 0 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Reports filed Death-coded reports
Annual report volume for Pit Bull drawn from FDA CVM filings.

Data updated September 2026

The verdict

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Pit Bull ranks #12 of 510 by total reports (17,865) and #223 of 275 by death-coded share (3.1%). National dual: Retriever - Labrador is #1 of 510 by total adverse-event reports (93,675) at death-coded-share rank 195 of 275 breeds with at least 50 reports (3.7%); separately, Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) is #1 highest death-coded share at 99.0% (report rank #233).

93,675
Retriever - Labrador reports (#1)
99.0%
Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) death share (#1)
#12
This breed, reports of 510
#223
This breed, death share of 275

Report volume reflects how common a breed or drug is and how often owners and vets file — not actual risk. Death-coded share ranks are limited to entries with enough reports to be meaningful. The two maps do not agree at #1.

Release-over-release change

What changed in the latest FDA data snapshot

PlainBreed reconstructed the prior snapshot from dated openFDA partitions through 2025 Q4, then compared it with the 2026-07-27 openFDA export. Pit Bull has 17,865 reports now versus 17,630 in that prior snapshot: 235 more (1.3%).

Report change
+235
Death-coded reports
+14
Death-coded share
+0.0 pts

This compares reported-event counts in two source snapshots. It does not establish a change in real-world risk, product safety, or disease incidence.

Subscribe to Pit Bull changes

Total Reports

17,865

Highest-reported breed

Deaths Reported

560

of 17,865 reports

Death-coded share of reports

3.1%

Lowest death-coded share

Avg Age at Report

4.0 yr

26.5 kg avg weight

Breed Safety Scorecard

B+ (78/100)

A weighted composite across 4 of 4 dimensions, each benchmarked against every tracked breed with at least 200 reports (n=185). Dimensions with insufficient data drop out and their weight redistributes to the rest, so a missing input never silently deflates the score.

Death rate A
3.1%

Share of reports coded as a fatality

Euthanasia rate A+
1.2%

Share of reports resulting in euthanasia

Full recovery rate C
30.5%

Share of reports coded "Recovered/Normal"

5-year trend B+
-17%

Change in annual report volume over the last 5 complete years

Death-Coded Outcome Share

Pit Bull death-coded reports 3.1%
Cross-breed median

3.1% of 17,865 pit bull reports involved a death outcome.

How to read this number

Read alongside breed popularity, veterinary access, and owner awareness, these shape how many events ever reach the FDA. The comparison line marks the cross-breed median death-coded share (4.8%) among breeds with 50 or more reports; values above it suggest higher reporting bias toward severe outcomes, not necessarily higher true mortality.

Where Pit Bull's death-coded share sits among indexed breeds

Death-coded share of FDA CVM reports, breeds with ≥50 reports (July 2026 extract)

3% 19th percentile Higher share than 19% of 275 indexed breeds

5%–10%: 1 indexed breeds (0%). This entry sits in this band. 20%–25%: 2 indexed breeds (1%). Above this entry. 25%–30%: 3 indexed breeds (1%). Above this entry. 30%–35%: 4 indexed breeds (1%). Above this entry. 35%–40%: 5 indexed breeds (2%). Above this entry. 40%–45%: 6 indexed breeds (2%). Above this entry. 45%–50%: 3 indexed breeds (1%). Above this entry. 50%–55%: 7 indexed breeds (3%). Above this entry. 55%–60%: 7 indexed breeds (3%). Above this entry. 60%–65%: 21 indexed breeds (8%). Above this entry. 65%–70%: 11 indexed breeds (4%). Above this entry. 70%–75%: 15 indexed breeds (5%). Above this entry. 75%–80%: 13 indexed breeds (5%). Above this entry. 80%–85%: 11 indexed breeds (4%). Above this entry. 85%–90%: 12 indexed breeds (4%). Above this entry. 90%–95%: 12 indexed breeds (4%). Above this entry. 95%–100%: 142 indexed breeds (52%). Above this entry. Pit Bull 5% 100% every breed with ≥50 FDA reports, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more indexed breeds. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, openFDA adverse event extract (PlainBreed) · July 2026 extract

This histogram uses the same ≥50-report cohort as the highest death-coded share ranking. A higher share means more of this breed's reported events were death-coded, not a mortality rate for living animals.

Pit Bull among report-volume vs. death-rate peers

Every breed shown has at least 50 filed reports. Volume reflects how often a breed is reported, not how common it is; death rate is the share of a breed's own reports coded as a death outcome.

Source: FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events database 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by Total Reports (X) and Death Rate (%) (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. High volume, high death rateLow volume, high death rateHigh volume, low death rateLow volume, low death rate 020,00040,00060,00080,000100,000 0%5%10%15% Total Reports Death Rate (%) Pit Bull vs. all breeds, report volume and death-coded share Retriever - Labrador-93675, 3.7%Crossbred Canine/dog-70591, 3.2%Domestic Shorthair-65226, 7.2%Dog (unknown)-48820, 8.8%Retriever - Golden-35980, 3.7%Shepherd Dog - German-32220, 4.4%Chihuahua-31521, 4.2%Terrier - Yorkshire-24924, 3.7%Shih Tzu-24405, 3.6%Boxer (German Boxer)-19405, 4.4%Beagle-17970, 3.6%Pit Bull-17865, 3.1%Shepherd Dog - Australian-16274, 3.7%Terrier (unspecified)-14058, 3.1%Maltese-13940, 3.2%Dachshund (unspecified)-13512, 4.6%Cat (unknown)-13248, 9.3%Terrier - Jack Russell-10423, 3.7%Collie - Border-10130, 4.3%Siberian Husky-9811, 4.5%Domestic Longhair-9615, 7%Pug-9224, 5.2%Spitz - German Pomeranian-9086, 4.9%Terrier - Bull - American Pit-8769, 4.7%Cattle Dog - Australian (blue heeler, red heeler, Queensland cattledog)-7871, 3.6%Terrier - Boston-7737, 4.5%Spaniel - Cocker American-7640, 4%Domestic (unspecified)-7576, 13.4%Poodle (unspecified)-7534, 3.4%Schnauzer - Miniature-7513, 4.4%
Source: FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events database
Average weight at time of report: 26.5 kg (58.4 lbs)

Top Reported Reactions

Vomiting 3,514
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm 2,280
Emesis 1,693
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 1,340
Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea 1,278
INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM LARVAE 1,210
Diarrhoea 1,096
Lack of efficacy - NOS 844
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - hookworm 694
Anorexia 468
Emesis (multiple) 455
Seizure NOS 386
Not eating 386
Ataxia 360
Overdose 355

Most Referenced Drugs

Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad 4,481
Ivermectin + Pyrantel As Pamoate Salt 2,766
Spinosad 1,397
Afoxolaner 1,250
Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel 1,224
Fluralaner Chew Tablets 883
Fluralaner 13.64% 12-Week Chew 657
Nitenpyram 451
Imidacloprid + Moxidectin 393
Melarsomine Dihydrochloride 289
Ivermectin 284
Ivermectin + Pyrantel 276
Tigilanol Tiglate 269
Lotilaner 259
Melarsomine Dihydrochloride Injection 249

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
6,924 (41.1%)
Recovered/Normal
5,457 (32.4%)
Ongoing
2,889 (17.1%)
Recovered with Sequela
1,022 (6.1%)
Died
342 (2.0%)
Euthanized
222 (1.3%)

Gender Distribution

Male 8,794 (49.2%)
Female 8,748 (49.0%)
Unknown 260 (1.5%)
Mixed 63 (0.4%)

Reports by Year

Year Reports Trend
2010 547
2011 529
2012 874
2013 1,268
2014 1,153
2015 1,364
2016 1,415
2017 1,521
2018 1,363
2019 1,369
2020 1,366
2021 1,146
2022 971
2023 916
2024 928
2025 951
2026 184

Pit Bull: low death-coded share in the FDA CVM extract

Signature read: 17,865 reports place Pit Bull in the upper third of breed filing volume (#12 of 510). According to FDA CVM filings indexed on PlainBreed as of July 2026 extract, Pit Bull sits at #12 of 510 by report volume among all breeds and #11 of 298 among dog breeds, with 17,865 reports and 560 (3.1%) death-coded. On death-coded share among breeds with ≥50 reports, it ranks #223 of 275. Mean age at report: 4.0 years, average weight 26.5 kg (58.4 lbs).

Top reported signs: Vomiting (3,514), Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm (2,280), Emesis (1,693). Most-referenced drug: Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (4,481 reports), followed by Ivermectin + Pyrantel As Pamoate Salt (2,766) and Spinosad (1,397).

Outcome coding on 16,856 status-recorded reports is dominated by Outcome Unknown (41.1%). Annual submissions ranged 184-2,026 across 17 years on file.

Pit Bull Reporting Concentration Profile

Pit Bull is a high-volume FDA CVM cohort (17,865 reports) - enough filings to measure how concentrated the reaction and drug mix is, not just the headline totals. Across 20 named reaction terms in the stored top list, the leading three (Vomiting, Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm, Emesis) account for 41.5% of listed reaction mentions. The Herfindahl index on that list is 0.090 (1.0 = a single reaction owns every mention; lower = a broader clinical mix).

On the drug side, 20 referenced products appear in the top list; the leading three (Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad, Ivermectin + Pyrantel As Pamoate Salt, Spinosad) cover 53.6% of those mentions. That multi-product footprint is the profile thin-report breeds cannot show - their pages stop at a short bar list because the sample cannot support a concentration read.

Outcome coding on 16,856 status-recorded filings splits roughly 3.3% severe (died or euthanized - 564 reports) versus 38.4% recovered or recovered-with-sequela (6,479). Read that split next to the 3.1% death-coded share above - both track reporting severity bias in a popular breed, not a proven mortality rate.

Peak filing year was 2017 (1,521 reports); the lightest year on file was 2026 (184). From 2024 to 2025, annual volume rose 2.5% (928 → 951). Year-to-year swings at this volume usually track product launches, owner awareness, and reporting campaigns more than sudden breed-health shocks.

Dog Breeds With a Similar Report Volume

Showing 6 of 297 dog breeds in our dataset, ranked by closest report volume.

Beagle
17,970 reports · 3.6% death-coded
Boxer (German Boxer)
19,405 reports · 4.4% death-coded
Shepherd Dog - Australian
16,274 reports · 3.7% death-coded
Terrier (unspecified)
14,058 reports · 3.1% death-coded
Maltese
13,940 reports · 3.2% death-coded
Dachshund (unspecified)
13,512 reports · 4.6% death-coded

Nationwide breeds with similar profiles

High-volume peer sets for Pit Bull drawn from openFDA outside the Dog family so the neighborhoods are not species containment (the similar-volume list above stays within species).

Similar death-coded share

Nearest other-species breeds with ≥50 reports (3.1% death-coded here).

Oriental 3.1% · Cat Birman (Sacred Birman) 3.1% · Cat Oldenburg 2.8% · Horse American Curl Shorthair 3.5% · Cat

Similar average weight

Nearest other-species breeds by reported average weight (26.5 kg here).

Mixed (Sheep) 24.9 kg · Sheep Crossbred Caprine/goat 21.7 kg · Goat Fish (other) 32.4 kg · Fish Katahdin 32.4 kg · Sheep

What to do with this dog

A report does not prove a drug caused the reaction, and popular breeds simply generate more reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many FDA adverse event reports involve Pit Bull? ▼
There are 17,865 adverse event reports involving Pit Bull in the FDA database, of which 560 were death-coded (3.1% of those reports). That is a share of REPORTED events, not a mortality rate for the breed: adverse events reach the FDA when something goes wrong, so the denominator is reports, never the population of animals. According to the same FDA CVM extract, Pit Bull ranks #12 of 510 by report volume among all breeds PlainBreed indexes (#11 of 298 among dog breeds).
Where does Pit Bull sit among other breeds in PlainBreed's corpus? ▼
According to FDA CVM report volume, Pit Bull is #12 of 510 breeds indexed on PlainBreed (same ordering as the most-reported-breeds ranking). Inside Dog, it is #11 of 298. Among breeds with at least 50 reports, its death-coded share ranks #223 of 275 (same cohort as highest-death-rate). These are placement ranks in the reporting corpus, not clinical risk scores.
What are the most common adverse reactions reported for Pit Bull? ▼
The most commonly reported adverse reactions for Pit Bull are Vomiting (3,514 reports), Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm (2,280 reports), Emesis (1,693 reports), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (1,340 reports), Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea (1,278 reports).
What drugs are most frequently associated with Pit Bull adverse events? ▼
The drugs most frequently referenced in Pit Bull adverse event reports are Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (4,481 reports), Ivermectin + Pyrantel As Pamoate Salt (2,766 reports), Spinosad (1,397 reports), Afoxolaner (1,250 reports), Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel (1,224 reports).
What is the average age of Pit Bull in adverse event reports? ▼
The average age of Pit Bull at the time of adverse event reports is 4.0 years, with an average weight of 26.5 kg (58.4 lbs).

Compare a breed's report volume against how common the breed is before drawing conclusions. See our methodology for how the death-coded share and rankings are computed, or read breed-specific reporting patterns and FDA CVM reporting.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (CVM AER) · 2025

openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (FDA CVM) for Pit Bull (Dog), extract as of July 2026 extract. 17,865 reports · 560 death-coded (3.1% of reports, not a mortality rate) · #12 of 510 by volume.

Informational only. FDA adverse-event reports are voluntary and do not prove causation; consult a veterinarian before acting on them. Verify with FDA CVM →