Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Spinosad

66,270 adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine reference Spinosad. See the species affected, top reactions, and outcomes below.

66,270
adverse-event reports
2.5%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species
19,053
Emesis - 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.
66,270
Total Reports
1,648
Deaths Reported
2.5%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Spinosad

Administration Routes

OralUnknownCutaneousTopicalOtherRespiratory (Inhalation)IntraocularRectalIntrauterineOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 50,664
Cat 11,650
Unknown 3,771
Human 168
Other 8
Other Canids 6
Macaw 1
Crustacea 1
Cattle 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 6,477
Crossbred Canine/dog 4,539
Unknown 3,959
Chihuahua 3,541
Retriever - Labrador 2,959
Dog (unknown) 2,958
Terrier - Yorkshire 2,768
Shih Tzu 2,426
Pit Bull 1,395
Boxer (German Boxer) 1,380

Most Reported Reactions

Emesis 19,053
Vomiting 17,208
Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea 12,856
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 5,205
UNPALATABLE 4,874
Lack of efficacy - NOS 2,530
Diarrhoea 2,071
Depression 1,948
Pruritus 1,717
Anorexia 1,559
Behavioural disorder NOS 1,364
Seizure NOS 1,303

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
29,379 (59.2%)
Outcome Unknown
13,595 (27.4%)
Recovered with Sequela
3,197 (6.4%)
Ongoing
1,780 (3.6%)
Died
1,223 (2.5%)
Euthanized
427 (0.9%)

Spinosad Adverse Event Insights

66,270 reports name Spinosad; 1,648 recorded a death outcome (2.5% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). Active ingredient: Spinosad. Administration routes: Oral, Unknown, Cutaneous, Topical.

By species: Dog (50,664 reports), Cat (11,650 reports), Unknown (3,771 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (6,477), Crossbred Canine/dog (4,539), Unknown (3,959).

Leading clinical signs: Emesis (19,053), Vomiting (17,208), Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea (12,856), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (5,205). Outcome, 49,601 coded reports: Recovered/Normal leads at 59.2%.

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.