Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Butorphanol Tartrate

2,096 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Butorphanol Tartrate. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

2,096
adverse-event reports
17.1%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
223
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.
2,096
Total Reports
358
Deaths Reported
17.1%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Butorphanol Tartrate

Administration Routes

UnknownIntramuscularIntravenousSubcutaneousOralParenteralOtherOphthalmicSubconjunctivalNasal

Species Affected

Dog 1,233
Cat 509
Unknown 212
Horse 107
Human 8
Other 4
Guinea Pig 3
Donkey 3
Alpaca 2
Rabbit 2

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 242
Domestic Shorthair 241
Retriever - Labrador 140
Dog (unknown) 130
Cat (unknown) 68
Domestic (unspecified) 60
Crossbred Canine/dog 51
Shepherd Dog - German 47
Chihuahua 46
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 45

Most Reported Reactions

Death 223
Vomiting 221
Lack of efficacy - NOS 153
Anorexia 147
Bradycardia 147
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 133
Diarrhoea 118
Cardiac arrest 114
Death by euthanasia 102
INEFFECTIVE, SEDATION 99
Seizure NOS 95
Tablets, Abnormal 85

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
676 (39.6%)
Ongoing
430 (25.2%)
Died
261 (15.3%)
Outcome Unknown
234 (13.7%)
Euthanized
97 (5.7%)
Recovered with Sequela
8 (0.5%)

Butorphanol Tartrate Adverse Event Insights

2,096 reports name Butorphanol Tartrate; 358 recorded a death outcome (17.1% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Butorphanol Tartrate. Administration routes: Unknown, Intramuscular, Intravenous, Subcutaneous.

By species: Dog (1,233 reports), Cat (509 reports), Unknown (212 reports). By breed: Unknown (242), Domestic Shorthair (241), Retriever - Labrador (140).

Leading clinical signs: Death (223), Vomiting (221), Lack of efficacy - NOS (153), Anorexia (147). Outcome, 1,706 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 39.6%.

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.