Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Pentobarbital Sodium, Phenytoin Sodium

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

220
adverse-event reports
82.3%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
132
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.
220
Total Reports
181
Deaths Reported
82.3%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Pentobarbital Sodium, Phenytoin Sodium

Administration Routes

IntravenousUnknownIntracardiacOralIntradermalSubcutaneousOphthalmicAuricular (Otic)

Species Affected

Dog 118
Cat 53
Human 21
Horse 13
Unknown 9
Rat 1
Cattle 1
Other Rodents 1
Fish 1
Sheep 1

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 33
Domestic Shorthair 26
Dog (unknown) 14
Retriever - Labrador 13
Cat (unknown) 11
Crossbred Canine/dog 10
Shepherd Dog - German 9
Mixed (Dog) 7
Domestic Mediumhair 6
Retriever - Golden 5

Most Reported Reactions

INEFFECTIVE, EUTHANASIA 132
Lack of efficacy - NOS 70
Overdose 35
INEFFECTIVE, DELAYED EFFECT 30
Death by euthanasia 19
Vocalisation 17
Accidental exposure 14
Abnormal breathing 13
Injection site pain 9
Excitation 8
Abnormal movement NOS 8
Drug administration error 8

Outcome Breakdown

Euthanized
181 (85.4%)
Recovered/Normal
21 (9.9%)
Outcome Unknown
10 (4.7%)

Pentobarbital Sodium, Phenytoin Sodium Adverse Event Insights

220 reports name Pentobarbital Sodium, Phenytoin Sodium; 181 recorded a death outcome (82.3% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Pentobarbital Sodium, Phenytoin Sodium. Administration routes: Intravenous, Unknown, Intracardiac, Oral.

By species: Dog (118 reports), Cat (53 reports), Human (21 reports). By breed: Unknown (33), Domestic Shorthair (26), Dog (unknown) (14).

Leading clinical signs: INEFFECTIVE, EUTHANASIA (132), Lack of efficacy - NOS (70), Overdose (35), INEFFECTIVE, DELAYED EFFECT (30). Outcome, 212 coded reports: Euthanized leads at 85.4%.

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.