Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Ractopamine Hydrochloride

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

314
adverse-event reports
51.0%
death-coded share
Cattle
most-reported species
139
Death - top reaction
Verify with FDA CVM →
Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
314
Total Reports
160
Deaths Reported
51.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Ractopamine Hydrochloride

Administration Routes

OralUnknownRespiratory (Inhalation)Cutaneous

Species Affected

Cattle 177
Pig 95
Unknown 13
Dog 10
Horse 7
Turkey 4
Human 4
Chicken 2
Goat 1
Cat 1

Most Affected Breeds

Cattle (unknown) 66
Pig (unknown) 60
Crossbred Bovine/Cattle 27
Mixed (Cattle) 27
Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein 18
Cattle (other) 18
Unknown 17
Aberdeen Angus 13
PIC International Commercial Swine Lines 9
Crossbred Porcine/Pig 9

Most Reported Reactions

Death 139
Lameness 44
Ruminal bloat 36
Behavioural disorder NOS 33
Pneumonia 30
Respiratory tract disorder NOS 29
Lack of efficacy - NOS 21
Bloated 18
Distress 17
Digestive tract disorder NOS 17
Recumbency 15
Uncoded sign 15

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
179 (45.3%)
Died
154 (39.0%)
Recovered/Normal
32 (8.1%)
Euthanized
18 (4.6%)
Recovered with Sequela
7 (1.8%)
Ongoing
5 (1.3%)

Ractopamine Hydrochloride Adverse Event Insights

314 reports name Ractopamine Hydrochloride; 160 recorded a death outcome (51.0% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Ractopamine Hydrochloride. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown, Respiratory (Inhalation), Cutaneous.

By species: Cattle (177 reports), Pig (95 reports), Unknown (13 reports). By breed: Cattle (unknown) (66), Pig (unknown) (60), Crossbred Bovine/Cattle (27).

Leading clinical signs: Death (139), Lameness (44), Ruminal bloat (36), Behavioural disorder NOS (33). Outcome, 395 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 45.3%.

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.