Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Buprenorphine

6,797 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Buprenorphine. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

6,797
adverse-event reports
15.0%
death-coded share
Cat
most-reported species
984
Behavioural disorder NOS - 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.
6,797
Total Reports
1,021
Deaths Reported
15.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Buprenorphine

Administration Routes

TopicalUnknownSubcutaneousIntramuscularTransdermalOralIntravenousParenteralOtherSublingual

Species Affected

Cat 5,265
Dog 1,267
Unknown 149
Human 58
Rabbit 27
Mouse 13
Rat 6
Guinea Pig 4
Horse 2
Ferret 2

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 2,770
Cat (unknown) 1,033
Domestic Longhair 377
Domestic Mediumhair 276
Unknown 231
Cat (other) 180
Siamese 157
Retriever - Labrador 125
Maine Coon 89
Ragdoll 72

Most Reported Reactions

Behavioural disorder NOS 984
Not eating 748
Dilated pupils 731
Anorexia 591
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 586
Hyperactivity 568
Death 545
Dysphoria 519
Vomiting 445
Death by euthanasia 418
Fever 393
Not sleeping 361

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
2,065 (30.9%)
Recovered/Normal
1,963 (29.4%)
Outcome Unknown
1,604 (24.0%)
Died
601 (9.0%)
Euthanized
427 (6.4%)
Recovered with Sequela
15 (0.2%)

Buprenorphine Adverse Event Insights

6,797 reports name Buprenorphine; 1,021 recorded a death outcome (15.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Buprenorphine. Administration routes: Topical, Unknown, Subcutaneous, Intramuscular.

By species: Cat (5,265 reports), Dog (1,267 reports), Unknown (149 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (2,770), Cat (unknown) (1,033), Domestic Longhair (377).

Leading clinical signs: Behavioural disorder NOS (984), Not eating (748), Dilated pupils (731), Anorexia (591). Outcome, 6,675 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 30.9%.

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.