Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Desmopressin

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

72
adverse-event reports
13.9%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
10
Decreased appetite - 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.
72
Total Reports
10
Deaths Reported
13.9%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Desmopressin

Administration Routes

UnknownOralOphthalmicNasal

Species Affected

Dog 70
Human 1
Cat 1

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 8
Retriever - Golden 7
Beagle 3
Dog (unknown) 3
Chihuahua 3
Terrier - Tibetan 2
Hound - Basset 2
Terrier - Boston 2
Deutsche Dogge, Great Dane 2
Crossbred Canine/dog 2

Most Reported Reactions

Decreased appetite 10
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 10
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) 10
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 10
Diarrhoea 7
Vomiting 7
Polydipsia 7
Lack of efficacy - NOS 6
Death by euthanasia 6
Urinary tract infection 6
Weight loss 6
Polyuria 5

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
24 (33.8%)
Ongoing
19 (26.8%)
Recovered/Normal
17 (23.9%)
Euthanized
6 (8.5%)
Died
4 (5.6%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (1.4%)

Desmopressin Adverse Event Insights

72 reports name Desmopressin; 10 recorded a death outcome (13.9% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Desmopressin. Administration routes: Unknown, Oral, Ophthalmic, Nasal.

By species: Dog (70 reports), Human (1 reports), Cat (1 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (8), Retriever - Golden (7), Beagle (3).

Leading clinical signs: Decreased appetite (10), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (10), Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) (10), Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (10). Outcome, 71 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 33.8%.

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.