Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Atropine

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

657
adverse-event reports
31.1%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
150
Death - 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.
657
Total Reports
204
Deaths Reported
31.1%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Atropine

Administration Routes

UnknownSubcutaneousIntravenousIntramuscularOphthalmicOtherParenteralIntracardiacRespiratory (Inhalation)Endotracheal

Species Affected

Dog 494
Cat 152
Horse 6
Unknown 1
Other Mammals 1
Rat 1
Ferret 1
Monkey 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 95
Retriever - Labrador 59
Dog (unknown) 37
Chihuahua 27
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 20
Shih Tzu 19
Terrier - Yorkshire 19
Crossbred Canine/dog 15
Retriever - Golden 14
Maltese 12

Most Reported Reactions

Death 150
Vomiting 106
Cardiac arrest 91
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 87
Bradycardia 83
Other abnormal test result NOS 54
Anorexia 50
Lack of efficacy - NOS 47
Death by euthanasia 47
Tachycardia 46
Hypothermia 44
Seizure NOS 44

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
220 (33.2%)
Died
159 (24.0%)
Ongoing
158 (23.9%)
Outcome Unknown
72 (10.9%)
Euthanized
46 (6.9%)
Recovered with Sequela
7 (1.1%)

Atropine Adverse Event Insights

657 reports name Atropine; 204 recorded a death outcome (31.1% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Atropine. Administration routes: Unknown, Subcutaneous, Intravenous, Intramuscular.

By species: Dog (494 reports), Cat (152 reports), Horse (6 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (95), Retriever - Labrador (59), Dog (unknown) (37).

Leading clinical signs: Death (150), Vomiting (106), Cardiac arrest (91), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (87). Outcome, 662 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 33.2%.

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.