Trimethoprim Sulfa

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32 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.
32
Total Reports
9
Deaths Reported
2810.0%
Death Rate

Active Ingredients

Trimethoprim Sulfa

Administration Routes

UnknownOral

Species Affected

Dog 25
Horse 5
Rabbit 1
Cat 1

Most Affected Breeds

Retriever - Labrador 5
Shepherd Dog - German 3
Deutsche Dogge, Great Dane 3
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 3
Thoroughbred 2
Retriever - Golden 2
Quarter Horse 2
Pug 2
Weimaraner 1
Rabbit (other) 1

Most Reported Reactions

Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') 10
Fever 8
Vomiting 8
Death 6
Anaemia NOS 6
Weight loss 5
Anorexia 4
Other abnormal test result NOS 4
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) 4
Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 4
Death by euthanasia 3
Decreased appetite 3

Outcome Breakdown

Ongoing
20 (62.5%)
Died
6 (18.8%)
Euthanized
3 (9.4%)
Recovered/Normal
3 (9.4%)

Data Summary

Metric Value
Total adverse event reports 32
Reports involving death 9
Case-fatality rate (reported events) 2810.0%
Distinct species in reports 4
Distinct breeds in reports 18
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.

Trimethoprim Sulfa Adverse Event Insights

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine database currently holds 32 adverse event reports referencing Trimethoprim Sulfa, including 9 reports in which the animal died — a 2810.0% case-fatality figure among reported events only, not a population-level mortality rate. Active ingredient on file: Trimethoprim Sulfa. Reported administration routes include Unknown, Oral. 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 Trimethoprim Sulfa reports are Dog (25 reports), Horse (5 reports), Rabbit (1 reports), with Dog accounting for the largest share. Within those species, Retriever - Labrador (5), Shepherd Dog - German (3), Deutsche Dogge, Great Dane (3) 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 Trimethoprim Sulfa are Lethargy (see also Central nervous system depression in 'Neurological') (10), Fever (8), Vomiting (8), Death (6). Of the 32 reports with a coded outcome, Ongoing is the leading category at 62.5%. 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 Trimethoprim Sulfa.

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