Flea Preventative

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16 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.
16
Total Reports
2
Deaths Reported
1250.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Flea Preventative

Administration Routes

UnknownTopical

Species Affected

Dog 9
Cat 7

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Longhair 3
Cat (unknown) 2
Crossbred Canine/dog 2
Terrier - Yorkshire 2
Pekingese 2
Crossbred Feline/cat 1
Bengal 1
Retriever - Labrador 1
Siberian Husky 1
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 1

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea 9
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - tapeworm 2
Death by euthanasia 2
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 1
Grooming disorder 1
Weight loss 1
Anorexia 1
Ocular discharge 1
Nasal discharge 1
Overdose 1
Application site inflammation 1
Application site dry skin 1

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
11 (68.8%)
Recovered/Normal
2 (12.5%)
Euthanized
2 (12.5%)
Ongoing
1 (6.3%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 16
Reports involving death 2
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 1250.0%
Distinct species in reports 2
Distinct breeds in reports 10
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.

Flea Preventative Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 16 adverse event reports referencing Flea Preventative, including 2 reports in which the animal died — a 1250.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Flea Preventative. Reported administration routes include Unknown, Topical. 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 Flea Preventative reports are Dog (9 reports), Cat (7 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Domestic Longhair (3), Cat (unknown) (2), Crossbred Canine/dog (2) 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 Flea Preventative are Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea (9), Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - tapeworm (2), Death by euthanasia (2), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (1). Of the 16 reports with a coded outcome, Outcome Unknown is the leading category at 68.8%. 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 Flea Preventative.

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