Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Pain Reliever (Narcotic)

46 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Pain Reliever (Narcotic). See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

46
adverse-event reports
41.3%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
15
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.
46
Total Reports
19
Deaths Reported
41.3%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Pain Reliever (Narcotic)

Administration Routes

UnknownOralOtherIntravenous

Species Affected

Dog 38
Cat 8

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 5
Dog (unknown) 5
Retriever - Golden 4
Shepherd Dog - German 3
Retriever - Labrador 2
Pug 2
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 2
Shih Tzu 2
Beagle 2
Siberian Husky 1

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 15
Death by euthanasia 13
Other abnormal test result NOS 12
Vomiting 11
Abnormal ultrasound finding 9
Fever 8
Leucocytosis NOS 8
Elevated total bilirubin 6
Anorexia 6
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 5
Vocalisation 5
Neutrophilia 5

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
14 (30.4%)
Euthanized
13 (28.3%)
Recovered/Normal
10 (21.7%)
Died
6 (13.0%)
Outcome Unknown
3 (6.5%)

Pain Reliever (Narcotic) Adverse Event Insights

46 reports name Pain Reliever (Narcotic); 19 recorded a death outcome (41.3% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Pain Reliever (Narcotic). Administration routes: Unknown, Oral, Other, Intravenous.

By species: Dog (38 reports), Cat (8 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (5), Dog (unknown) (5), Retriever - Golden (4).

Leading clinical signs: Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (15), Death by euthanasia (13), Other abnormal test result NOS (12), Vomiting (11). Outcome, 46 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 30.4%.

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.