Drug profile

The FDA adverse-event record for Spinosad

66,305 FDA reports name Spinosad, a high-volume drug in the CVM extract. Species, reactions, and outcomes follow.

#3 of 2,679
by report volume (all drugs)
66,305
adverse-event reports
2.5%
death-coded share
Dog
most-reported species

Corpus placement

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Spinosad ranks #3 of 2679 by total reports (66,305) and #956 of 1130 by death-coded share (2.5%). 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)
#3
This drug, reports of 2679
#956
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. Spinosad has 66,305 reports now versus 66,290 in that prior snapshot: 15 more (0.0%).

Report change
+15
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 Spinosad changes

Signature read: 66,305 reports place Spinosad in the upper third of FDA AER volume (#3 of 2,679).

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
66,305
Total Reports
1,648
Deaths Reported
2.5%
Death-coded share of reports

Active Ingredients

Spinosad

Administration Routes

OralUnknownCutaneousTopicalOtherRespiratory (Inhalation)IntraocularRectalIntrauterineOphthalmic

Species Affected

Dog 50,687
Cat 11,659
Unknown 3,774
Human 168
Other 8
Other Canids 6
Macaw 1
Crustacea 1
Cattle 1

Most Affected Breeds

Domestic Shorthair 6,482
Crossbred Canine/dog 4,539
Unknown 3,962
Chihuahua 3,541
Dog (unknown) 2,962
Retriever - Labrador 2,961
Terrier - Yorkshire 2,769
Shih Tzu 2,427
Pit Bull 1,397
Boxer (German Boxer) 1,380

Most Reported Reactions

Emesis 19,055
Vomiting 17,214
Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea 12,872
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 5,205
UNPALATABLE 4,879
Lack of efficacy - NOS 2,530
Diarrhoea 2,073
Depression 1,948
Pruritus 1,717
Anorexia 1,559
Behavioural disorder NOS 1,366
Seizure NOS 1,304

Outcome Breakdown

Recovered/Normal
29,386 (59.2%)
Outcome Unknown
13,609 (27.4%)
Recovered with Sequela
3,197 (6.4%)
Ongoing
1,790 (3.6%)
Died
1,223 (2.5%)
Euthanized
427 (0.9%)

Spinosad: low 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 Spinosad, both floored at ≥50 reports so the neighborhoods stay in the advertised mass.

What to do with this drug

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 Spinosad (#3 of 2,679 by report volume); death-coded 2.5%. PlainBreed drug row · report volume stamp 66,305 · 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 →