Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Acupuncture

75 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Acupuncture. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

75
adverse-event reports
8.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
13
Diarrhoea - top reaction
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Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
75
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
8.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Acupuncture

Administration Routes

UnknownParenteralOtherIntradermalCutaneousIntramuscularSubcutaneous

Species Affected

Dog 69
Cat 5
Horse 1

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 9
Retriever - Golden 7
Domestic Shorthair 5
Shepherd Dog - German 5
Beagle 4
Dog (unknown) 3
Terrier - Boston 3
Spaniel - King Charles Cavalier 3
Terrier - Bull - Staffordshire 2
Schipperke 2

Most Reported Reactions

Diarrhoea 13
Lack of efficacy - NOS 10
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 10
Anorexia 9
Vomiting 9
Not eating 8
Limb weakness 7
Urinary tract infection 6
Decreased appetite 6
Bloody diarrhoea 6
Weight loss 6
Weakness 5

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
31 (41.3%)
Outcome Unknown
21 (28.0%)
Recovered/Normal
15 (20.0%)
Euthanized
5 (6.7%)
Recovered with Sequela
2 (2.7%)
Died
1 (1.3%)

Acupuncture Adverse Event Insights

75 reports name Acupuncture; 6 recorded a death outcome (8.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Acupuncture. Administration routes: Unknown, Parenteral, Other, Intradermal.

By species: Dog (69 reports), Cat (5 reports), Horse (1 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (9), Retriever - Golden (7), Domestic Shorthair (5).

Leading clinical signs: Diarrhoea (13), Lack of efficacy - NOS (10), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) (10), Anorexia (9). Outcome, 75 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 41.3%.

Read these counts as reporting volume, not risk: per our methodology, a widely-prescribed drug will rack up more raw FDA reports in a given year than a rarely-used one at an identical true rate, so we recommend comparing within similar-exposure products rather than across the full 2025 catalog.

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

Every figure on PlainBreed is rendered directly from FDA openFDA adverse event data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FDA openFDA data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.