Trazodone

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1,238 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA

Important: Adverse event reports do not establish that a drug caused or contributed to the event. Consult your veterinarian before making treatment decisions.
1,238
Total Reports
141
Deaths Reported
1140.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Trazodone

Administration Routes

OralUnknownSubcutaneousIntravenousOtherOphthalmicTopical

Species Affected

Dog 1,218
Cat 14
Human 5
Other 1

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 175
Crossbred Canine/dog 72
Retriever - Golden 62
Shepherd Dog - German 59
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 48
Chihuahua 37
Beagle 34
Boxer (German Boxer) 31
Terrier (unspecified) 31
Siberian Husky 30

Most Reported Reactions

Vomiting 260
Diarrhoea 161
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) 115
Death by euthanasia 90
Decreased appetite 90
Not eating 86
Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 84
Seizure NOS 81
Panting 72
Lack of efficacy - NOS 68
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 67
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm 63

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
488 (39.5%)
Recovered/Normal
305 (24.7%)
Outcome Unknown
297 (24.0%)
Euthanized
92 (7.4%)
Died
49 (4.0%)
Recovered with Sequela
5 (0.4%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 1,238
Reports involving death 141
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 1140.0%
Distinct species in reports 4
Distinct breeds in reports 20
Distinct reactions reported 20
Active ingredients on file 1

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reporting (CVM AER). Counts reflect voluntary reports only.

Trazodone Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 1,238 adverse event reports referencing Trazodone, including 141 reports in which the animal died — a 1140.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Trazodone. Reported administration routes include Oral, Unknown, Subcutaneous, Intravenous. These numbers reflect voluntary submissions from pet owners, veterinarians, and manufacturers and therefore under-represent mild events and over-represent severe ones — a pattern the FDA has documented repeatedly for pharmacovigilance datasets.

The species most frequently named in Trazodone reports are Dog (1,218 reports), Cat (14 reports), Human (5 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Retriever - Labrador (175), Crossbred Canine/dog (72), Retriever - Golden (62) appear most often — though breed popularity and ownership density shape these counts as much as any drug-specific sensitivity. This distribution matters because the same active ingredient can behave very differently across body sizes, ages, and species physiology.

The most commonly reported clinical signs associated with Trazodone are Vomiting (260), Diarrhoea (161), Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in Neurological) (115), Death by euthanasia (90). Of the 1,236 reports with a coded outcome, Ongoing is the leading category at 39.5%. Because FDA adverse event data describes correlation rather than causation, these figures are best used to frame informed questions with a veterinarian and to compare reporting patterns across related products — not as a standalone safety verdict on Trazodone.

Source: FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine — Adverse Event Reports Data reflects voluntary submissions and may not represent actual incidence rates

Related

Data sourced from official AKC, AVMA, ACVO, and breed-club veterinary references. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBreed Editorial