Propofol

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3,849 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA

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
1740.0%
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%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 3,849
Reports involving death 669
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 1740.0%
Distinct species in reports 10
Distinct breeds in reports 20
Distinct reactions reported 20
Active ingredients on file 1

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reporting (CVM AER). Counts reflect voluntary reports only.

Propofol Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 3,849 adverse event reports referencing Propofol, including 669 reports in which the animal died — a 1740.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Propofol. Reported administration routes include Intravenous, Unknown, Parenteral, Other. These numbers reflect voluntary submissions from pet owners, veterinarians, and manufacturers and therefore under-represent mild events and over-represent severe ones — a pattern the FDA has documented repeatedly for pharmacovigilance datasets.

The species most frequently named in Propofol reports are Dog (2,376 reports), Cat (947 reports), Unknown (489 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Unknown (533), Domestic Shorthair (495), Dog (unknown) (323) appear most often — though breed popularity and ownership density shape these counts as much as any drug-specific sensitivity. This distribution matters because the same active ingredient can behave very differently across body sizes, ages, and species physiology.

The most commonly reported clinical signs associated with Propofol are Death (440), Vomiting (299), Color, Abnormal (299), Bradycardia (264). Of the 3,000 reports with a coded outcome, Recovered/Normal is the leading category at 37.8%. Because FDA adverse event data describes correlation rather than causation, these figures are best used to frame informed questions with a veterinarian and to compare reporting patterns across related products — not as a standalone safety verdict on Propofol.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports Data reflects voluntary submissions and may not represent actual incidence rates

Related

Data sourced from official AKC, AVMA, ACVO, and breed-club veterinary references. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBreed Editorial