Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Heartworm Preventative

71 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Heartworm Preventative. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#929 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
71
adverse-event reports
7.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Heartworm Preventative ranks #928 of 2679 by total reports (71) and #696 of 1130 by death-coded share (7.0%). 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)
#928
This drug, reports of 2679
#696
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. Heartworm Preventative has 71 reports now versus 69 in that prior snapshot: 2 more (2.9%).

Report change
+2
Death-coded reports
+0
Death-coded share
−0.2 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 Heartworm Preventative changes

Signature read: report volume at 71 is the most distinctive stamp on Heartworm Preventative'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.
71
Total Reports
5
Deaths Reported
7.0%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Heartworm Preventative

Administration Routes

OralUnknownSubcutaneousParenteral

Species Affected

Dog 71

Most Affected Breeds

Crossbred Canine/dog 11
Retriever - Labrador 11
Shepherd Dog - German 4
Chihuahua 4
Retriever - Golden 4
Schnauzer - Miniature 2
Terrier - Rat 2
Pit Bull 2
Great Pyrenees 2
Cattle Dog - Australian (blue heeler, red heeler, Queensland cattledog) 2

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 13
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm 13
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 9
Emesis (multiple) 8
Diarrhoea 7
Weight loss 5
Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 5
Emesis 4
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 4
Inappetence 4
Not eating 4
Ataxia 3

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
27 (38.0%)
Ongoing
21 (29.6%)
Outcome Unknown
17 (23.9%)
Died
3 (4.2%)
Euthanized
2 (2.8%)
Recovered with Sequela
1 (1.4%)

Heartworm Preventative Adverse Event Insights

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.

Nationwide drugs with similar profiles

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

Similar report volume

Nearest other drugs by FDA report count (71 here).

Similar death-coded share

Nearest other drugs by death-coded share (7.0% here), distinct from the volume row.

What to do with this drug

  • Compare Heartworm Preventative's report volume and death-coded share against similar drugs nationwide. See similar drugs
  • Read how death-coded share differs from a mortality rate before drawing conclusions. Understanding adverse events
  • Browse the full drug directory to compare report counts across products. All drugs

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 Heartworm Preventative (#929 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 7.0%. PlainBreed drug row · report volume stamp 71 · 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 →