Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Butorphanol

3,616 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Butorphanol. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

3,616
adverse-event reports
17.9%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
479
Lack of efficacy - NOS - top reaction
Verify with FDA CVM →
Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
3,616
Total Reports
647
Deaths Reported
17.9%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Butorphanol

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenousParenteralSubcutaneousOralOtherIntra-ArterialSubmucosalOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 2,322
Cat 1,184
Horse 88
Unknown 5
Other 3
Other Equids 3
Parrot 2
Other Mammals 1
Other Birds 1
Primate 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 638
Retriever - Labrador 267
Dog (unknown) 247
Cat (unknown) 126
Domestic Longhair 111
Shepherd Dog - German 91
Chihuahua 91
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 88
Retriever - Golden 72
Domestic Mediumhair 70

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy - NOS 479
Death 388
Vomiting 368
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 296
Anorexia 241
Diarrhoea 241
Bradycardia 233
Not eating 202
Death by euthanasia 199
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 196
Seizure NOS 188
Behavioural disorder NOS 184

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
1,447 (39.8%)
Ongoing
942 (25.9%)
Outcome Unknown
585 (16.1%)
Died
430 (11.8%)
Euthanized
217 (6.0%)
Recovered with Sequela
13 (0.4%)

Butorphanol Adverse Event Insights

3,616 reports name Butorphanol; 647 recorded a death outcome (17.9% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Butorphanol. Administration routes: Unknown, Intramuscular, Intravenous, Parenteral.

By species: Dog (2,322 reports), Cat (1,184 reports), Horse (88 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (638), Retriever - Labrador (267), Dog (unknown) (247).

Leading clinical signs: Lack of efficacy - NOS (479), Death (388), Vomiting (368), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (296). Outcome, 3,634 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 39.8%.

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.