Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Methadone

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

272
adverse-event reports
23.9%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
40
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) - 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.
272
Total Reports
65
Deaths Reported
23.9%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Methadone

Administration Routes

UnknownIntravenousIntramuscularParenteralSubcutaneousOtherOral

Species Affected

Dog 195
Cat 73
Human 2
Deer 1
Pig 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 37
Retriever - Labrador 26
Dog (unknown) 13
Domestic Longhair 12
Retriever - Golden 11
Crossbred Canine/dog 11
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 8
Beagle 6
Boxer (German Boxer) 6
Mixed (Dog) 5

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 40
Death by euthanasia 36
Not eating 36
Diarrhoea 35
Vomiting 32
Death 28
Hypotension 27
Fever 23
Tachycardia 22
Anorexia 22
Bradycardia 21
Abnormal radiograph finding 21

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
95 (34.7%)
Ongoing
66 (24.1%)
Outcome Unknown
46 (16.8%)
Euthanized
35 (12.8%)
Died
30 (10.9%)
Recovered with Sequela
2 (0.7%)

Methadone Adverse Event Insights

272 reports name Methadone; 65 recorded a death outcome (23.9% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Methadone. Administration routes: Unknown, Intravenous, Intramuscular, Parenteral.

By species: Dog (195 reports), Cat (73 reports), Human (2 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (37), Retriever - Labrador (26), Dog (unknown) (13).

Leading clinical signs: Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) (40), Death by euthanasia (36), Not eating (36), Diarrhoea (35). Outcome, 274 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 34.7%.

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.