Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Pentobarbital

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

39
adverse-event reports
66.7%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
15
INEFFECTIVE, EUTHANASIA - 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.
39
Total Reports
26
Deaths Reported
66.7%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Pentobarbital

Administration Routes

IntravenousUnknownOralOtherOphthalmicIntracardiac

Species Affected

Dog 16
Unknown 9
Horse 6
Cat 4
Other 2
Human 1
Mouse 1

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 16
Dog (unknown) 7
Horse (unknown) 3
Cat (unknown) 3
Retriever - Labrador 2
Quarter Horse 2
Mixed (Horse) 1
Mixed (Dog) 1
Mixed (Cat) 1
Akita 1

Most Reported Reactions

INEFFECTIVE, EUTHANASIA 15
Uncoded sign 8
Vials, Leaking 7
Lack of efficacy - NOS 7
Seal, Abnormal 4
Accidental exposure 2
Potency, Low 2
Agitation 2
Injection site pain 2
Injection site irritation 2
Vascular disorder NOS (see also endocarditis) 2
Necropsy performed 2

Outcome Breakdown

Euthanized
16 (61.5%)
Died
10 (38.5%)

Pentobarbital Adverse Event Insights

39 reports name Pentobarbital; 26 recorded a death outcome (66.7% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Pentobarbital. Administration routes: Intravenous, Unknown, Oral, Other.

By species: Dog (16 reports), Unknown (9 reports), Horse (6 reports). By breed: Unknown (16), Dog (unknown) (7), Horse (unknown) (3).

Leading clinical signs: INEFFECTIVE, EUTHANASIA (15), Uncoded sign (8), Vials, Leaking (7), Lack of efficacy - NOS (7). Outcome, 26 coded reports: Euthanized leads at 61.5%.

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.