Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Glucosamine

1,246 FDA reports name Glucosamine, a high-volume drug in the CVM extract. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#157 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
1,246
adverse-event reports
11.6%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Glucosamine ranks #157 of 2679 by total reports (1,246) and #472 of 1130 by death-coded share (11.6%). National dual: Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad is #1 of 2679 drugs by total adverse-event reports (149,624) at death-coded-share rank 965 of 1130 drugs with at least 50 reports (2.3%); separately, Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) is #1 highest death-coded share at 97.8% (report rank #821).

149,624
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad reports (#1)
97.8%
Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) death share (#1)
#157
This drug, reports of 2679
#472
This drug, death share of 1130

Report volume reflects how common a breed or drug is and how often owners and vets file — not actual risk. Death-coded share ranks are limited to entries with enough reports to be meaningful. The two maps do not agree at #1.

Release-over-release change

What changed in the latest FDA data snapshot

PlainBreed reconstructed the prior snapshot from dated openFDA partitions through 2025 Q4, then compared it with the 2026-07-27 openFDA export. Glucosamine has 1,246 reports now versus 1,225 in that prior snapshot: 21 more (1.7%).

Report change
+21
Death-coded reports
+6
Death-coded share
+0.3 pts

This compares reported-event counts in two source snapshots. It does not establish a change in real-world risk, product safety, or disease incidence.

Subscribe to Glucosamine changes

Signature read: death-coded report count at 145 is the most distinctive stamp on Glucosamine's FDA AER row.

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
1,246
Total Reports
145
Deaths Reported
11.6%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Glucosamine

Administration Routes

OralUnknownSubcutaneousAuricular (Otic)Topical

Species Affected

Dog 1,181
Cat 57
Human 3
Horse 3
Unknown 2

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 245
Retriever - Golden 83
Crossbred Canine/dog 62
Shepherd Dog - German 61
Boxer (German Boxer) 44
Domestic Shorthair 38
Shepherd Dog - Australian 33
Cattle Dog - Australian (blue heeler, red heeler, Queensland cattledog) 25
Collie - Border 25
Pit Bull 22

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 221
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 207
Emesis 155
Diarrhoea 138
Lack of efficacy - NOS 98
Death by euthanasia 95
Seizure NOS 87
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 82
Weight loss 73
Other abnormal test result NOS 73
Decreased appetite 70
Anorexia 70

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
413 (33.1%)
Ongoing
345 (27.7%)
Outcome Unknown
295 (23.7%)
Euthanized
96 (7.7%)
Died
49 (3.9%)
Recovered with Sequela
48 (3.9%)

Glucosamine: high report volume in the FDA AER row

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.

High-volume nationwide drug peers

Two openFDA-derived peer sets for Glucosamine, both floored at ≥50 reports so the neighborhoods stay in the advertised mass.

What to do with this drug

A report does not prove a drug caused the reaction; consult a veterinarian before acting on this data.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (CVM AER) · 2025

openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (FDA CVM) for Glucosamine (#157 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 11.6%. PlainBreed drug row · death-coded report count stamp 145 · vintage 2025.

Informational only. FDA adverse-event reports are voluntary and do not prove causation; consult a veterinarian before acting on them. Verify with FDA CVM →