Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Heparin

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

14
adverse-event reports
35.7%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
4
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) - 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.
14
Total Reports
5
Deaths Reported
35.7%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Heparin

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenous

Species Affected

Dog 12
Cat 2

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 4
Domestic Shorthair 2
Spaniel - Tibetan 1
Crossbred Canine/dog 1
Pug 1
Schnauzer - Miniature 1
Beagle 1
Pointing Dog - German Short-haired 1
Mountain Dog - Bernese 1
Spaniel - King Charles Cavalier 1

Most Reported Reactions

Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 4
Death 4
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 3
Anorexia 3
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) 3
Thrombocytopenia 3
Facial swelling (see also 'Skin') 3
Phlebitis 3
Haematuria 2
Immune mediated haemolytic anaemia 2
Other abnormal test result NOS 2
Vomiting 2

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
6 (42.9%)
Died
4 (28.6%)
Ongoing
2 (14.3%)
Euthanized
1 (7.1%)
Outcome Unknown
1 (7.1%)

Heparin Adverse Event Insights

14 reports name Heparin; 5 recorded a death outcome (35.7% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Heparin. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous.

By species: Dog (12 reports), Cat (2 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (4), Domestic Shorthair (2), Spaniel - Tibetan (1).

Leading clinical signs: Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (4), Death (4), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (3), Anorexia (3). Outcome, 14 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 42.9%.

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.