Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Butorphanol Injectable

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

283
adverse-event reports
18.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
43
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.
283
Total Reports
51
Deaths Reported
18.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Butorphanol Injectable

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenousSubcutaneousOtherParenteral

Species Affected

Dog 116
Unknown 91
Cat 60
Horse 14
Human 2

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 94
Domestic Shorthair 36
Dog (unknown) 19
Crossbred Canine/dog 19
Cat (unknown) 9
Quarter Horse 9
Retriever - Labrador 8
Domestic Mediumhair 6
Pit Bull 5
Shepherd Dog - Australian 5

Most Reported Reactions

Death 43
Bradycardia 23
Appearance, Abnormal 23
Closure, Abnormal 19
Cardiac arrest 18
Containers, Leaking 17
Cyanosis 13
Uncoded sign 12
Product problem 12
Drug administration error 12
Vials, Leaking 11
Lack of efficacy - NOS 11

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
100 (51.3%)
Died
43 (22.1%)
Ongoing
31 (15.9%)
Outcome Unknown
11 (5.6%)
Euthanized
9 (4.6%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (0.5%)

Butorphanol Injectable Adverse Event Insights

283 reports name Butorphanol Injectable; 51 recorded a death outcome (18.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Butorphanol Injectable. Administration routes: Unknown, Intramuscular, Intravenous, Subcutaneous.

By species: Dog (116 reports), Unknown (91 reports), Cat (60 reports). By breed: Unknown (94), Domestic Shorthair (36), Dog (unknown) (19).

Leading clinical signs: Death (43), Bradycardia (23), Appearance, Abnormal (23), Closure, Abnormal (19). Outcome, 195 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 51.3%.

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.