Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Pilocarpine

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

64
adverse-event reports
4.7%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
41
Corneal ulcer - 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.
64
Total Reports
3
Deaths Reported
4.7%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Pilocarpine

Administration Routes

OralUnknownOphthalmicIntraocularTopical

Species Affected

Dog 64

Most Affected Breeds

Chihuahua 8
Shih Tzu 6
Dachshund (unspecified) 6
Maltese 5
Bichon Frise 3
Spaniel - King Charles Cavalier 3
Poodle - Miniature 3
Beagle 2
Schnauzer - Miniature 2
Pinscher - Miniature 2

Most Reported Reactions

Corneal ulcer 41
Ocular discharge 28
Schirmer tear test 27
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca 25
Dry eye 23
Squinting 21
Corneal disorder NOS 20
Vomiting 17
Behavioural disorder NOS 16
Dry nose 16
Ataxia 15
Blepharospasm 14

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
24 (37.5%)
Outcome Unknown
20 (31.3%)
Recovered/Normal
17 (26.6%)
Euthanized
2 (3.1%)
Died
1 (1.6%)

Pilocarpine Adverse Event Insights

64 reports name Pilocarpine; 3 recorded a death outcome (4.7% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Pilocarpine. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown, Ophthalmic, Intraocular.

By species: Dog (64 reports). By breed: Chihuahua (8), Shih Tzu (6), Dachshund (unspecified) (6).

Leading clinical signs: Corneal ulcer (41), Ocular discharge (28), Schirmer tear test (27), Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (25). Outcome, 64 coded reports: Ongoing leads at 37.5%.

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.