Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Propofol

3,849 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Propofol. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

3,849
adverse-event reports
17.4%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
440
Death - 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.
3,849
Total Reports
669
Deaths Reported
17.4%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Propofol

Administration Routes

IntravenousUnknownParenteralOtherSubcutaneousIntramuscularRespiratory (Inhalation)IntrathecalOphthalmicIntraperitoneal

Species Affected

Dog 2,376
Cat 947
Unknown 489
Other 17
Human 4
Turtle 3
Pig 3
Horse 2
Rabbit 2
Other Rodents 1

Most Affected Breeds

Unknown 533
Domestic Shorthair 495
Dog (unknown) 323
Retriever - Labrador 241
Crossbred Canine/dog 133
Cat (unknown) 100
Chihuahua 90
Retriever - Golden 86
Domestic Longhair 76
Terrier - Yorkshire 74

Most Reported Reactions

Death 440
Vomiting 299
Color, Abnormal 299
Bradycardia 264
Lack of efficacy - NOS 244
Cardiac arrest 235
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 204
Seizure NOS 196
Anorexia 190
Not eating 187
INEFFECTIVE, ANESTHESIA 180
Death by euthanasia 178

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
1,133 (37.8%)
Ongoing
764 (25.5%)
Died
492 (16.4%)
Outcome Unknown
421 (14.0%)
Euthanized
177 (5.9%)
Recovered with Sequela
13 (0.4%)

Propofol Adverse Event Insights

3,849 reports name Propofol; 669 recorded a death outcome (17.4% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Propofol. Administration routes: Intravenous, Unknown, Parenteral, Other.

By species: Dog (2,376 reports), Cat (947 reports), Unknown (489 reports). By breed: Unknown (533), Domestic Shorthair (495), Dog (unknown) (323).

Leading clinical signs: Death (440), Vomiting (299), Color, Abnormal (299), Bradycardia (264). Outcome, 3,000 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 37.8%.

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.