Bismuth Subnitrate

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35 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.
35
Total Reports
14
Deaths Reported
4000.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Bismuth Subnitrate

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramammary

Species Affected

Cattle 29
Unknown 6

Most Affected Breeds

Cattle (other) 16
Unknown 6
Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein 6
Jersey 5
Crossbred Bovine/Cattle 1
Mixed (Cattle) 1

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS 16
Death 9
Lack of efficacy - NOS 7
Product Defect, General 3
Abortion 3
Device Defective NOS 3
CULTURE/TITER DATA ABNORMAL 2
Diarrhoea 2
Downer animal 2
Mastitis NOS 2
Digestive tract disorder NOS 2
Urticaria 1

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
18 (45.0%)
Died
12 (30.0%)
Ongoing
4 (10.0%)
Recovered/Normal
3 (7.5%)
Euthanized
2 (5.0%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (2.5%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 35
Reports involving death 14
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 4000.0%
Distinct species in reports 2
Distinct breeds in reports 6
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.

Bismuth Subnitrate Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 35 adverse event reports referencing Bismuth Subnitrate, including 14 reports in which the animal died — a 4000.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Bismuth Subnitrate. Reported administration routes include Unknown, Intramammary. 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 Bismuth Subnitrate reports are Cattle (29 reports), Unknown (6 reports), with Cattle accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Cattle (other) (16), Unknown (6), Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein (6) 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 Bismuth Subnitrate are Lack of efficacy (bacteria) - NOS (16), Death (9), Lack of efficacy - NOS (7), Product Defect, General (3). Of the 40 reports with a coded outcome, Outcome Unknown is the leading category at 45.0%. 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 Bismuth Subnitrate.

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