Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Imidacloprid

2,248 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Imidacloprid. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

2,248
adverse-event reports
3.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
1,081
Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea - 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.
2,248
Total Reports
67
Deaths Reported
3.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Imidacloprid

Administration Routes

OralTopicalUnknownCutaneousOther

Species Affected

Dog 1,855
Cat 216
Unknown 171
Human 3
Ferret 2
Chicken 1

Most Affected Breeds

Dog (unknown) 523
Unknown 175
Chihuahua 164
Domestic Shorthair 113
Retriever - Labrador 91
Pit Bull 91
Crossbred Canine/dog 85
Shih Tzu 74
Terrier - Yorkshire 70
Shepherd Dog - German 62

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea 1,081
Pruritus 190
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 178
Vomiting 135
Overdose 105
Behavioural disorder NOS 98
Diarrhoea 90
Anorexia 89
Emesis 76
Scratching 69
Ataxia 66
Emesis (multiple) 66

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
1,498 (72.1%)
Recovered/Normal
279 (13.4%)
Ongoing
226 (10.9%)
Died
47 (2.3%)
Euthanized
20 (1.0%)
Recovered with Sequela
7 (0.3%)

Imidacloprid Adverse Event Insights

2,248 reports name Imidacloprid; 67 recorded a death outcome (3.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Imidacloprid. Administration routes: Oral, Topical, Unknown, Cutaneous.

By species: Dog (1,855 reports), Cat (216 reports), Unknown (171 reports). By breed: Dog (unknown) (523), Unknown (175), Chihuahua (164).

Leading clinical signs: Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea (1,081), Pruritus (190), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (178), Vomiting (135). Outcome, 2,077 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 72.1%.

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.