Melarsomine Dihydrochloride

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9,461 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
9,461
Total Reports
375
Deaths Reported
400.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Melarsomine Dihydrochloride

Administration Routes

IntramuscularUnknownSubcutaneousParenteralOralOphthalmicIntravenousTopicalOtherIntradermal

Species Affected

Dog 9,221
Unknown 196
Human 40
Cat 4

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 1,348
Crossbred Canine/dog 1,133
Shepherd Dog - German 577
Dog (unknown) 462
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 434
Beagle 410
Chihuahua 375
Boxer (German Boxer) 300
Pit Bull 285
Unknown 245

Most Reported Reactions

Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm 2,244
INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM ADULTS 1,087
Vomiting 1,067
Injection site swelling 849
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 524
Injection site pain 511
Injection site lump 501
Diarrhoea 493
Pain NOS 480
Panting 414
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 349
Anorexia 313

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
4,207 (55.0%)
Outcome Unknown
1,957 (25.6%)
Recovered/Normal
874 (11.4%)
Died
281 (3.7%)
Recovered with Sequela
234 (3.1%)
Euthanized
95 (1.2%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 9,461
Reports involving death 375
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 400.0%
Distinct species in reports 4
Distinct breeds in reports 20
Distinct reactions reported 20
Active ingredients on file 1

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reporting (CVM AER). Counts reflect voluntary reports only.

Melarsomine Dihydrochloride Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 9,461 adverse event reports referencing Melarsomine Dihydrochloride, including 375 reports in which the animal died — a 400.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Melarsomine Dihydrochloride. Reported administration routes include Intramuscular, Unknown, Subcutaneous, Parenteral. These numbers reflect voluntary submissions from pet owners, veterinarians, and manufacturers and therefore under-represent mild events and over-represent severe ones — a pattern the FDA has documented repeatedly for pharmacovigilance datasets.

The species most frequently named in Melarsomine Dihydrochloride reports are Dog (9,221 reports), Unknown (196 reports), Human (40 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Retriever - Labrador (1,348), Crossbred Canine/dog (1,133), Shepherd Dog - German (577) appear most often — though breed popularity and ownership density shape these counts as much as any drug-specific sensitivity. This distribution matters because the same active ingredient can behave very differently across body sizes, ages, and species physiology.

The most commonly reported clinical signs associated with Melarsomine Dihydrochloride are Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm (2,244), INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM ADULTS (1,087), Vomiting (1,067), Injection site swelling (849). Of the 7,648 reports with a coded outcome, Ongoing is the leading category at 55.0%. Because FDA adverse event data describes correlation rather than causation, these figures are best used to frame informed questions with a veterinarian and to compare reporting patterns across related products — not as a standalone safety verdict on Melarsomine Dihydrochloride.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports Data reflects voluntary submissions and may not represent actual incidence rates

Related

Data sourced from official AKC, AVMA, ACVO, and breed-club veterinary references. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBreed Editorial