Amitraz

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359 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
359
Total Reports
13
Deaths Reported
360.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Amitraz

Administration Routes

TopicalUnknownCutaneousOralOtherOphthalmicRespiratory (Inhalation)Subcutaneous

Species Affected

Dog 292
Unknown 49
Human 18

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 67
Retriever - Labrador 24
Crossbred Canine/dog 23
Boxer (German Boxer) 22
Dog (unknown) 16
Chihuahua 15
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 13
Shih Tzu 10
Bulldog 9
Shepherd Dog - German 9

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 52
Vomiting 43
Depression 42
Emesis 35
Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - Demodex 33
Pruritus 28
Ataxia 26
Anorexia 24
Diarrhoea 22
Vials, Leaking 20
Uncoded sign 18
Behavioural disorder NOS 15

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
92 (42.4%)
Ongoing
68 (31.3%)
Outcome Unknown
35 (16.1%)
Died
10 (4.6%)
Recovered with Sequela
9 (4.1%)
Euthanized
3 (1.4%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 359
Reports involving death 13
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 360.0%
Distinct species in reports 3
Distinct breeds in reports 20
Distinct reactions reported 20
Active ingredients on file 1

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reporting (CVM AER). Counts reflect voluntary reports only.

Amitraz Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 359 adverse event reports referencing Amitraz, including 13 reports in which the animal died — a 360.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Amitraz. Reported administration routes include Topical, Unknown, Cutaneous, Oral. These numbers reflect voluntary submissions from pet owners, veterinarians, and manufacturers and therefore under-represent mild events and over-represent severe ones — a pattern the FDA has documented repeatedly for pharmacovigilance datasets.

The species most frequently named in Amitraz reports are Dog (292 reports), Unknown (49 reports), Human (18 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Unknown (67), Retriever - Labrador (24), Crossbred Canine/dog (23) appear most often — though breed popularity and ownership density shape these counts as much as any drug-specific sensitivity. This distribution matters because the same active ingredient can behave very differently across body sizes, ages, and species physiology.

The most commonly reported clinical signs associated with Amitraz are Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (52), Vomiting (43), Depression (42), Emesis (35). Of the 217 reports with a coded outcome, Recovered/Normal is the leading category at 42.4%. Because FDA adverse event data describes correlation rather than causation, these figures are best used to frame informed questions with a veterinarian and to compare reporting patterns across related products — not as a standalone safety verdict on Amitraz.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports Data reflects voluntary submissions and may not represent actual incidence rates

Related

Data sourced from official AKC, AVMA, ACVO, and breed-club veterinary references. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBreed Editorial