Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Melarsomine

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

905
adverse-event reports
3.5%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
339
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm - 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.
905
Total Reports
32
Deaths Reported
3.5%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Melarsomine

Administration Routes

IntramuscularUnknownParenteralOralOtherSubcutaneousIntravenous

Species Affected

Dog 877
Unknown 26
Cat 2

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 139
Crossbred Canine/dog 105
Dog (unknown) 58
Dog (other) 56
Beagle 50
Pit Bull 42
Shepherd Dog - German 42
Unknown 32
Chihuahua 27
Boxer (German Boxer) 18

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm 339
INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM LARVAE 240
INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM ADULTS 208
Cardiac disorder NOS 99
Lack of efficacy - NOS 86
Vomiting 61
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 54
Other abnormal test result NOS 50
Injection site pain 42
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 29
Panting 29
Diarrhoea 28

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
579 (65.7%)
Ongoing
101 (11.5%)
Recovered/Normal
93 (10.6%)
Recovered with Sequela
75 (8.5%)
Died
18 (2.0%)
Euthanized
15 (1.7%)

Melarsomine Adverse Event Insights

905 reports name Melarsomine; 32 recorded a death outcome (3.5% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Melarsomine. Administration routes: Intramuscular, Unknown, Parenteral, Oral.

By species: Dog (877 reports), Unknown (26 reports), Cat (2 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (139), Crossbred Canine/dog (105), Dog (unknown) (58).

Leading clinical signs: Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm (339), INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM LARVAE (240), INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM ADULTS (208), Cardiac disorder NOS (99). Outcome, 881 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 65.7%.

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.