Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Pimobendan

5,554 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Pimobendan. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

5,554
adverse-event reports
12.0%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
790
Vomiting - 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.
5,554
Total Reports
668
Deaths Reported
12.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Pimobendan

Administration Routes

OralUnknownTopicalOtherSubcutaneousCutaneousTransdermalVaginalOphthalmicRectal

Species Affected

Dog 4,600
Unknown 792
Cat 119
Human 37
Other Birds 2
Rabbit 2
Macaw 1
Chinchilla 1

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 837
Chihuahua 519
Crossbred Canine/dog 438
Dog (unknown) 400
Spaniel - King Charles Cavalier 389
Shih Tzu 213
Maltese 186
Terrier - Yorkshire 172
Beagle 160
Spitz - German Pomeranian 134

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 790
Diarrhoea 710
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 452
Tablets, Abnormal 369
Death 347
Cough 334
Death by euthanasia 318
Anorexia 302
Seizure NOS 207
Lack of efficacy - NOS 194
Decreased appetite 191
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 178

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
1,812 (41.0%)
Recovered/Normal
1,354 (30.6%)
Ongoing
560 (12.7%)
Died
391 (8.8%)
Euthanized
278 (6.3%)
Recovered with Sequela
27 (0.6%)

Pimobendan Adverse Event Insights

5,554 reports name Pimobendan; 668 recorded a death outcome (12.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Pimobendan. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown, Topical, Other.

By species: Dog (4,600 reports), Unknown (792 reports), Cat (119 reports). By breed: Unknown (837), Chihuahua (519), Crossbred Canine/dog (438).

Leading clinical signs: Vomiting (790), Diarrhoea (710), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (452), Tablets, Abnormal (369). Outcome, 4,422 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 41.0%.

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.