Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Pilocarpine

73 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Pilocarpine. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#919 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
73
adverse-event reports
8.2%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Pilocarpine ranks #914 of 2679 by total reports (73) and #628 of 1130 by death-coded share (8.2%). National dual: Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad is #1 of 2679 drugs by total adverse-event reports (149,624) at death-coded-share rank 965 of 1130 drugs with at least 50 reports (2.3%); separately, Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) is #1 highest death-coded share at 97.8% (report rank #821).

149,624
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad reports (#1)
97.8%
Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) death share (#1)
#914
This drug, reports of 2679
#628
This drug, death share of 1130

Report volume reflects how common a breed or drug is and how often owners and vets file — not actual risk. Death-coded share ranks are limited to entries with enough reports to be meaningful. The two maps do not agree at #1.

Release-over-release change

What changed in the latest FDA data snapshot

PlainBreed reconstructed the prior snapshot from dated openFDA partitions through 2025 Q4, then compared it with the 2026-07-27 openFDA export. Pilocarpine has 73 reports now versus 68 in that prior snapshot: 5 more (7.4%).

Report change
+5
Death-coded reports
+1
Death-coded share
+0.9 pts

This compares reported-event counts in two source snapshots. It does not establish a change in real-world risk, product safety, or disease incidence.

Subscribe to Pilocarpine changes

Signature read: report volume at 73 is the most distinctive stamp on Pilocarpine's FDA AER row.

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
73
Total Reports
6
Deaths Reported
8.2%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Pilocarpine

Administration Routes

OralUnknownOphthalmicIntraocularTopical

Species Affected

Dog 73

Most Affected Breeds

Chihuahua 9
Shih Tzu 6
Dachshund (unspecified) 6
Maltese 5
Poodle - Miniature 5
Bulldog - French 4
Bichon Frise 3
Spaniel - King Charles Cavalier 3
Beagle 2
Schnauzer - Miniature 2

Most Reported Reactions

Corneal ulcer 45
Ocular discharge 30
Dry eye 27
Schirmer tear test 27
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca 25
Corneal disorder NOS 25
Squinting 24
Dry nose 21
Vomiting 20
Neurogenic keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) 20
Ataxia 18
Eye disorder NOS (for Photophobia see neurological) 17

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
28 (38.4%)
Outcome Unknown
22 (30.1%)
Recovered/Normal
17 (23.3%)
Euthanized
5 (6.8%)
Died
1 (1.4%)

Pilocarpine Adverse Event Insights

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.

Nationwide drugs with similar profiles

Two openFDA-derived peer sets for Pilocarpine, both floored at ≥50 reports so the neighborhoods stay in the advertised mass.

What to do with this drug

A report does not prove a drug caused the reaction; consult a veterinarian before acting on this data.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (CVM AER) · 2025

openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (FDA CVM) for Pilocarpine (#919 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 8.2%. PlainBreed drug row · report volume stamp 73 · vintage 2025.

Informational only. FDA adverse-event reports are voluntary and do not prove causation; consult a veterinarian before acting on them. Verify with FDA CVM →