Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Buprenorphine Hcl

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

258
adverse-event reports
32.2%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
47
Vomiting - 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.
258
Total Reports
83
Deaths Reported
32.2%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Buprenorphine Hcl

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularSubcutaneousIntravenousOral

Species Affected

Dog 141
Cat 115
Guinea Pig 1
Rabbit 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 75
Retriever - Labrador 14
Domestic Longhair 14
Dog (unknown) 10
Cat (unknown) 7
Schnauzer - Miniature 7
Chihuahua 6
Domestic Mediumhair 6
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 6
Shih Tzu 5

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 47
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 47
Other abnormal test result NOS 46
Death by euthanasia 45
Anorexia 38
Death 37
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 26
Fever 25
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) 24
Emesis 23
Abnormal radiograph finding 22
Diarrhoea 22

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
98 (37.8%)
Recovered/Normal
62 (23.9%)
Euthanized
44 (17.0%)
Died
39 (15.1%)
Outcome Unknown
15 (5.8%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (0.4%)

Buprenorphine Hcl Adverse Event Insights

258 reports name Buprenorphine Hcl; 83 recorded a death outcome (32.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Buprenorphine Hcl. Administration routes: Unknown, Intramuscular, Subcutaneous, Intravenous.

By species: Dog (141 reports), Cat (115 reports), Guinea Pig (1 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (75), Retriever - Labrador (14), Domestic Longhair (14).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (47), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (47), Other abnormal test result NOS (46), Death by euthanasia (45). Outcome, 259 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 37.8%.

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.