Pyrantel

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754 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.
754
Total Reports
74
Deaths Reported
980.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Pyrantel

Administration Routes

OralUnknownOphthalmicNasalSubcutaneousRespiratory (Inhalation)Topical

Species Affected

Dog 649
Cat 81
Unknown 13
Horse 6
Human 3
Pig 1
Other Reptiles 1

Most Affected Breeds

Crossbred Canine/dog 62
Pit Bull 49
Retriever - Labrador 48
Domestic Shorthair 48
Dog (unknown) 45
Greyhound 35
Chihuahua 31
Unknown 30
Retriever - Golden 27
Shepherd Dog - Australian 22

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 143
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 96
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - hookworm 90
Diarrhoea 81
Overdose 57
Death 56
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - roundworm NOS 56
Underdose 54
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 46
Not eating 42
Emesis (multiple) 38
Cough 33

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
331 (44.0%)
Recovered/Normal
182 (24.2%)
Ongoing
157 (20.9%)
Died
64 (8.5%)
Euthanized
10 (1.3%)
Recovered with Sequela
8 (1.1%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 754
Reports involving death 74
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 980.0%
Distinct species in reports 7
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.

Pyrantel Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 754 adverse event reports referencing Pyrantel, including 74 reports in which the animal died — a 980.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Pyrantel. Reported administration routes include Oral, Unknown, Ophthalmic, Nasal. 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 Pyrantel reports are Dog (649 reports), Cat (81 reports), Unknown (13 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Crossbred Canine/dog (62), Pit Bull (49), Retriever - Labrador (48) 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 Pyrantel are Vomiting (143), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (96), Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - hookworm (90), Diarrhoea (81). Of the 752 reports with a coded outcome, Outcome Unknown is the leading category at 44.0%. 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 Pyrantel.

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