Melarsomine Dihydrochloride Injection

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5,095 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.
5,095
Total Reports
198
Deaths Reported
390.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Melarsomine Dihydrochloride Injection

Administration Routes

IntramuscularUnknownSubcutaneousOralOphthalmicParenteralIntravenous

Species Affected

Dog 4,570
Unknown 507
Human 18

Most Affected Breeds

Crossbred Canine/dog 681
Retriever - Labrador 607
Unknown 541
Dog (unknown) 304
Pit Bull 249
Shepherd Dog - German 244
Dog (other) 240
Beagle 207
Chihuahua 174
Boxer (German Boxer) 170

Most Reported Reactions

INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM ADULTS 1,260
INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM LARVAE 627
Vomiting 595
Injection site swelling 487
Cardiac disorder NOS 458
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 442
Pain NOS 330
Vials, Damaged 325
Injection site pain 320
Panting 312
Other abnormal test result NOS 299
Injection site lump 297

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
2,939 (64.0%)
Recovered/Normal
613 (13.3%)
Ongoing
518 (11.3%)
Recovered with Sequela
326 (7.1%)
Died
138 (3.0%)
Euthanized
60 (1.3%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 5,095
Reports involving death 198
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 390.0%
Distinct species in reports 3
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 Injection Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 5,095 adverse event reports referencing Melarsomine Dihydrochloride Injection, including 198 reports in which the animal died — a 390.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Melarsomine Dihydrochloride Injection. Reported administration routes include Intramuscular, Unknown, Subcutaneous, Oral. 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 Injection reports are Dog (4,570 reports), Unknown (507 reports), Human (18 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Crossbred Canine/dog (681), Retriever - Labrador (607), Unknown (541) 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 Injection are INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM ADULTS (1,260), INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM LARVAE (627), Vomiting (595), Injection site swelling (487). Of the 4,594 reports with a coded outcome, Outcome Unknown is the leading category at 64.0%. 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 Injection.

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