Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Imidacloprid

2,298 FDA reports name Imidacloprid, a high-volume drug in the CVM extract. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#98 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
2,298
adverse-event reports
3.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Imidacloprid ranks #98 of 2679 by total reports (2,298) and #920 of 1130 by death-coded share (3.0%). 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)
#98
This drug, reports of 2679
#920
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. Imidacloprid has 2,298 reports now versus 2,284 in that prior snapshot: 14 more (0.6%).

Report change
+14
Death-coded reports
+1
Death-coded share
+0.0 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 Imidacloprid changes

Signature read: 2,298 reports place Imidacloprid in the upper third of FDA AER volume (#98 of 2,679).

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
2,298
Total Reports
68
Deaths Reported
3.0%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Imidacloprid

Administration Routes

OralTopicalUnknownCutaneousOther

Species Affected

Dog 1,888
Cat 222
Unknown 182
Human 3
Ferret 2
Chicken 1

Most Affected Breeds

Dog (unknown) 532
Unknown 186
Chihuahua 168
Domestic Shorthair 116
Retriever - Labrador 92
Pit Bull 91
Crossbred Canine/dog 86
Shih Tzu 77
Terrier - Yorkshire 70
Shepherd Dog - German 64

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea 1,102
Pruritus 195
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 178
Vomiting 141
Overdose 108
Behavioural disorder NOS 101
Diarrhoea 93
Anorexia 89
Emesis 76
Scratching 72
Emesis (multiple) 67
Ataxia 66

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
1,520 (71.8%)
Recovered/Normal
282 (13.3%)
Ongoing
240 (11.3%)
Died
48 (2.3%)
Euthanized
20 (0.9%)
Recovered with Sequela
7 (0.3%)

Imidacloprid: low death-coded share 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 Imidacloprid, 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 Imidacloprid (#98 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 3.0%. PlainBreed drug row · report volume stamp 2,298 · 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 →