Fenbendazole

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2,684 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
2,684
Total Reports
297
Deaths Reported
1110.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Fenbendazole

Administration Routes

OralUnknownTopicalSubcutaneousOphthalmicRespiratory (Inhalation)OtherIntrauterineAuricular (Otic)Intraocular

Species Affected

Dog 2,188
Unknown 143
Cattle 141
Cat 113
Horse 31
Goat 21
Human 15
Pig 8
Turkey 4
Alpaca 3

Most Affected Breeds

Crossbred Canine/dog 278
Unknown 166
Retriever - Labrador 165
Greyhound 127
Dog (unknown) 107
Pit Bull 101
Chihuahua 95
Shepherd Dog - German 83
Retriever - Golden 81
Domestic Shorthair 77

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 659
Diarrhoea 372
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - hookworm 272
Anorexia 259
Depression 229
Death 221
Other abnormal test result NOS 132
INEFFECTIVE, HOOKS 132
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 130
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - tapeworm 129
Emesis 83
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - roundworm NOS 77

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
671 (40.1%)
Recovered/Normal
365 (21.8%)
Ongoing
328 (19.6%)
Died
259 (15.5%)
Euthanized
42 (2.5%)
Recovered with Sequela
8 (0.5%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 2,684
Reports involving death 297
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 1110.0%
Distinct species in reports 10
Distinct breeds in reports 20
Distinct reactions reported 20
Active ingredients on file 1

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reporting (CVM AER). Counts reflect voluntary reports only.

Fenbendazole Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 2,684 adverse event reports referencing Fenbendazole, including 297 reports in which the animal died — a 1110.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Fenbendazole. Reported administration routes include Oral, Unknown, Topical, Subcutaneous. These numbers reflect voluntary submissions from pet owners, veterinarians, and manufacturers and therefore under-represent mild events and over-represent severe ones — a pattern the FDA has documented repeatedly for pharmacovigilance datasets.

The species most frequently named in Fenbendazole reports are Dog (2,188 reports), Unknown (143 reports), Cattle (141 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Crossbred Canine/dog (278), Unknown (166), Retriever - Labrador (165) appear most often — though breed popularity and ownership density shape these counts as much as any drug-specific sensitivity. This distribution matters because the same active ingredient can behave very differently across body sizes, ages, and species physiology.

The most commonly reported clinical signs associated with Fenbendazole are Vomiting (659), Diarrhoea (372), Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - hookworm (272), Anorexia (259). Of the 1,673 reports with a coded outcome, Outcome Unknown is the leading category at 40.1%. Because FDA adverse event data describes correlation rather than causation, these figures are best used to frame informed questions with a veterinarian and to compare reporting patterns across related products — not as a standalone safety verdict on Fenbendazole.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports Data reflects voluntary submissions and may not represent actual incidence rates

Related

Data sourced from official AKC, AVMA, ACVO, and breed-club veterinary references. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBreed Editorial