Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Selemectin

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

37
adverse-event reports
10.8%
death-coded share
Cat
most-reported species
9
INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM LARVAE - 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.
37
Total Reports
4
Deaths Reported
10.8%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Selemectin

Administration Routes

TopicalUnknown

Species Affected

Cat 19
Dog 18

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 15
Crossbred Canine/dog 3
Beagle 2
Retriever - Labrador 2
Terrier - Jack Russell 2
Shepherd Dog - German 1
Maine Coon 1
Boxer (German Boxer) 1
Spaniel - Cocker American 1
Chihuahua 1

Most Reported Reactions

INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM LARVAE 9
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 6
Ataxia 4
Vomiting 4
Anorexia 3
Death 3
Excessive licking and/or grooming 3
Other abnormal test result NOS 3
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) 3
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - tapeworm 3
Pruritus 3
Seizure NOS 2

Outcome Breakdown

Outcome Unknown
15 (40.5%)
Ongoing
9 (24.3%)
Recovered/Normal
9 (24.3%)
Died
3 (8.1%)
Euthanized
1 (2.7%)

Selemectin Adverse Event Insights

37 reports name Selemectin; 4 recorded a death outcome (10.8% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Selemectin. Administration routes: Topical, Unknown.

By species: Cat (19 reports), Dog (18 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (15), Crossbred Canine/dog (3), Beagle (2).

Leading clinical signs: INEFFECTIVE, HEARTWORM LARVAE (9), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (6), Ataxia (4), Vomiting (4). Outcome, 37 coded reports: Outcome Unknown leads at 40.5%.

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.