Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Ractopamine Hydrochloride

314 FDA reports name Ractopamine Hydrochloride, a high-volume drug in the CVM extract. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#409 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
314
adverse-event reports
51.0%
death-coded share
Cattle
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Ractopamine Hydrochloride ranks #409 of 2679 by total reports (314) and #58 of 1130 by death-coded share (51.0%). National dual: Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad is #1 of 2679 drugs by total adverse-event reports (149,624) at death-coded-share rank 965 of 1130 drugs with at least 50 reports (2.3%); separately, Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) is #1 highest death-coded share at 97.8% (report rank #821).

149,624
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad reports (#1)
97.8%
Atlantic Salmon Transgenic Whole (Opafp-Ghc2 Rdna Construct Inserted Into The A-Locus In The Eo-1A Lineage) death share (#1)
#409
This drug, reports of 2679
#58
This drug, death share of 1130

Report volume reflects how common a breed or drug is and how often owners and vets file — not actual risk. Death-coded share ranks are limited to entries with enough reports to be meaningful. The two maps do not agree at #1.

Release-over-release change

What changed in the latest FDA data snapshot

PlainBreed reconstructed the prior snapshot from dated openFDA partitions through 2025 Q4, then compared it with the 2026-07-27 openFDA export. Ractopamine Hydrochloride has 314 reports now versus 314 in that prior snapshot: 0 the same number of (0.0%).

Report change
+0
Death-coded reports
+0
Death-coded share
+0.0 pts

This compares reported-event counts in two source snapshots. It does not establish a change in real-world risk, product safety, or disease incidence.

Subscribe to Ractopamine Hydrochloride changes

Signature read: death-coded report count at 160 is the most distinctive stamp on Ractopamine Hydrochloride's FDA AER row.

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-coded share of reports

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
Cat 1
Goat 1

Most Affected Breeds

Cattle (unknown) 66
Pig (unknown) 60
Crossbred Bovine/Cattle 27
Mixed (Cattle) 27
Cattle (other) 18
Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein 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
Digestive tract disorder NOS 17
Distress 17
Uncoded sign 15
Recumbency 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: high death-coded share in the FDA AER row

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.

High-volume nationwide drug peers

Two openFDA-derived peer sets for Ractopamine Hydrochloride, both floored at ≥50 reports so the neighborhoods stay in the advertised mass.

Similar death-coded share

Nearest other drugs by death-coded share (51.0% here), distinct from the volume row.

What to do with this drug

  • Compare Ractopamine Hydrochloride's report volume and death-coded share against similar drugs nationwide. See similar drugs
  • Read how death-coded share differs from a mortality rate before drawing conclusions. Understanding adverse events
  • Browse the full drug directory to compare report counts across products. All drugs

A report does not prove a drug caused the reaction; consult a veterinarian before acting on this data.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (CVM AER) · 2025

openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events (FDA CVM) for Ractopamine Hydrochloride (#409 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 51.0%. PlainBreed drug row · death-coded report count stamp 160 · vintage 2025.

Informational only. FDA adverse-event reports are voluntary and do not prove causation; consult a veterinarian before acting on them. Verify with FDA CVM →