FDA CVM rankings

Which breeds carry the highest share of fatal-outcome reports?

Among breeds with at least 50 adverse-event reports, this ranks the proportion of each breed's reports that recorded a death, a reporting statistic shaped heavily by sample size and reporting bias, not a measure of real-world risk.

275
breeds qualify (50+ reports)
99.0%
top rate - Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)
Top 100
shown below
50+
reports required to rank

Data updated September 2026

The verdict

According to the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine openFDA adverse-event extract, Retriever - Labrador is #1 of 510 by total adverse-event reports (93,675) at death-coded-share rank 195 of 275 breeds with at least 50 reports (3.7%); separately, Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) is #1 highest death-coded share at 99.0% (report rank #233). Among the 100 breeds shown, the #100 cutoff to make this list is 6.2% (Dogue de Bordeaux).

93,675
Retriever - Labrador reports (#1)
99.0%
Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) death share (#1)
99.0%
#1 - Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)
6.2%
#100, the cutoff to make this list

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.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine, more than 1,085,823 animal-drug adverse-event reports across 510 breeds had been filed as of the July 2026 data release, drawn from the openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Event database. This ranking orders breeds by their death-coded share, the proportion of a breed's reports in which the recorded outcome was death, among breeds with at least 50 reports. See our methodology for how each figure is computed and refreshed.

How to read this: Death-coded share is the percentage of a breed's adverse-event reports where the recorded outcome was death. It does not mean a drug caused the death, and it is not the breed's overall mortality rate. The 50-report minimum keeps tiny samples from dominating, but the smallest qualifying breeds still swing widely.

Top 12 breeds by death-coded report share

FDA CVM Animal Adverse Event database, breeds with 50+ reports

  1. 1
    Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) (Fish) 99.0%
    97 reports
  2. 2
    Turkey (unknown) (Turkey) 70.6%
    245 reports
  3. 3
    Chicken (other) (Chicken) 67.6%
    136 reports
  4. 4
    Boer (Goat) 61.3%
    62 reports
  5. 5
    Chicken (unknown) (Chicken) 58.4%
    433 reports
  6. 6
    Pig (other) (Pig) 52.9%
    51 reports
  7. 7
    Pig (unknown) (Pig) 51.8%
    490 reports
  8. 8
    Sheep (unknown) (Sheep) 51.0%
    257 reports
  9. 9
    Crossbred Bovine/Cattle (Cattle) 50.2%
    1,379 reports
  10. 10
    Cattle (other) (Cattle) 49.0%
    3,054 reports
  11. 11
    Red Angus (Cattle) 48.6%
    107 reports
  12. 12
    Mixed (Cattle) (Cattle) 48.3%
    2,695 reports

Source FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events · July 2026 extract

The bar to make this top-100 list

Death-coded share among the 275 breeds with 50+ reports, showing where the #100 cutoff sits

6% 64th percentile higher than 64% of 275 qualifying breeds

5%–10%: 1 qualifying breeds (0%). This entry sits in this band. 20%–25%: 2 qualifying breeds (1%). Above this entry. 25%–30%: 3 qualifying breeds (1%). Above this entry. 30%–35%: 4 qualifying breeds (1%). Above this entry. 35%–40%: 5 qualifying breeds (2%). Above this entry. 40%–45%: 6 qualifying breeds (2%). Above this entry. 45%–50%: 3 qualifying breeds (1%). Above this entry. 50%–55%: 7 qualifying breeds (3%). Above this entry. 55%–60%: 7 qualifying breeds (3%). Above this entry. 60%–65%: 21 qualifying breeds (8%). Above this entry. 65%–70%: 11 qualifying breeds (4%). Above this entry. 70%–75%: 15 qualifying breeds (5%). Above this entry. 75%–80%: 13 qualifying breeds (5%). Above this entry. 80%–85%: 11 qualifying breeds (4%). Above this entry. 85%–90%: 12 qualifying breeds (4%). Above this entry. 90%–95%: 12 qualifying breeds (4%). Above this entry. 95%–100%: 142 qualifying breeds (52%). Above this entry. #100 cutoff: Dogue de Bordeaux 5% 100% every qualifying breed, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more qualifying breeds. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary Adverse Events · July 2026 extract

# Breed Species Death-coded share Deaths Reports Avg Age
1 Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Fish
99.0%
96 97 0.7 yr
2 Turkey (unknown) Turkey
70.6%
173 245 0.1 yr
3 Chicken (other) Chicken
67.6%
92 136 0.2 yr
4 Boer Goat
61.3%
38 62 1.5 yr
5 Chicken (unknown) Chicken
58.4%
253 433 0.2 yr
6 Pig (other) Pig
52.9%
27 51 0.5 yr
7 Pig (unknown) Pig
51.8%
254 490 0.7 yr
8 Sheep (unknown) Sheep
51.0%
131 257 0.9 yr
9 Crossbred Bovine/Cattle Cattle
50.2%
692 1,379 1.0 yr
10 Cattle (other) Cattle
49.0%
1,497 3,054 1.2 yr
11 Red Angus Cattle
48.6%
52 107 1.0 yr
12 Mixed (Cattle) Cattle
48.3%
1,303 2,695 1.1 yr
13 Crossbred Porcine/Pig Pig
44.2%
164 371 0.3 yr
14 Brangus Cattle
43.1%
28 65 1.9 yr
15 Cattle (unspecified) Cattle
39.8%
41 103 1.4 yr
16 Simmental Cattle
39.6%
38 96 1.4 yr
17 Cattle (unknown) Cattle
39.0%
959 2,461 1.2 yr
18 Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein Cattle
38.9%
1,229 3,156 1.7 yr
19 Charolais Cattle
38.0%
49 129 1.7 yr
20 Jersey Cattle
37.8%
126 333 1.7 yr
21 Goat (unknown) Goat
36.9%
83 225 1.2 yr
22 Rabbit (other) Rabbit
36.5%
19 52 3.5 yr
23 Aberdeen Angus Cattle
35.1%
576 1,639 1.3 yr
24 Hereford cattle Cattle
31.8%
47 148 1.2 yr
25 Rabbit (unknown) Rabbit
31.0%
45 145 3.7 yr
26 Saddlebred - American Horse
16.0%
15 94 14.6 yr
27 Miniature Horse
15.9%
26 164 12.1 yr
28 Mixed (Horse) Horse
15.5%
16 103 6.3 yr
29 Standardbred (unspecified) Horse
14.9%
21 141 8.8 yr
30 Paint Horse
13.7%
53 386 14.3 yr
31 Rex - Devon Cat
13.6%
12 88 7.6 yr
32 Sphynx Cat
13.6%
25 184 5.0 yr
33 Domestic (unspecified) Cat
13.4%
1,014 7,576 6.5 yr
34 European Cat
13.0%
7 54 5.3 yr
35 Tennessee Walking Horse Horse
12.9%
24 186 14.8 yr
36 Pony (unspecified) Horse
11.9%
18 151 18.3 yr
37 Tonkinese Cat
11.9%
14 118 9.7 yr
38 Percheron Horse
11.5%
6 52 15.5 yr
39 Burmese Cat
11.4%
18 158 8.8 yr
40 Manx Cat
11.3%
32 284 7.3 yr
41 Collie - Smooth-haired Dog
11.3%
18 160 6.5 yr
42 Quarter Horse Horse
11.1%
280 2,526 12.6 yr
43 Mixed (Cat) Cat
10.7%
32 298 4.7 yr
44 Himalayan Cat
10.6%
68 640 8.6 yr
45 Mustang Horse
10.4%
7 67 13.1 yr
46 Morgan Horse
10.3%
15 145 16.6 yr
47 Appaloosa Horse
10.2%
17 167 15.9 yr
48 Horse (unknown) Horse
10.0%
237 2,370 13.8 yr
49 Domestic ferret (Pet ferret) Ferret
9.9%
15 152 4.8 yr
50 Mastiff (unspecified) Dog
9.8%
56 569 5.3 yr
51 Horse (other) Horse
9.8%
29 296 11.6 yr
52 Persian Cat
9.7%
118 1,215 7.3 yr
53 Cat (other) Cat
9.7%
464 4,798 7.6 yr
54 Arab Horse
9.6%
45 467 16.9 yr
55 Abyssinian cat Cat
9.5%
19 201 7.6 yr
56 Cat (unknown) Cat
9.3%
1,235 13,248 6.8 yr
57 Bulldog - English Dog
9.1%
104 1,142 5.9 yr
58 Pointer - English Pointer Dog
9.0%
16 178 5.4 yr
59 Dog (unknown) Dog
8.8%
4,298 48,820 5.8 yr
60 Ragdoll Cat
8.7%
90 1,029 6.7 yr
61 Hound - Afghan Dog
8.5%
11 129 5.8 yr
62 Carolina Dog Dog
8.5%
6 71 6.0 yr
63 Mastiff - Neapolitan Dog
8.5%
6 71 3.7 yr
64 Scottish Fold Shorthair Cat
8.3%
5 60 5.5 yr
65 Rottweiler Dog
8.2%
537 6,557 4.5 yr
66 Thoroughbred Horse
8.2%
100 1,222 12.0 yr
67 Dachshund - Standard Smooth-haired Dog
8.2%
52 636 8.9 yr
68 Siamese Cat
8.1%
250 3,073 7.5 yr
69 Sheepdog - Old English (Bobtail) Dog
7.9%
12 151 5.2 yr
70 Crossbred Equine/horse Horse
7.9%
15 190 14.3 yr
71 Pointing Dog - Italian Wire-haired Dog
7.8%
5 64 4.5 yr
72 Bombay Cat
7.8%
9 116 7.4 yr
73 Domestic Mediumhair Cat
7.7%
499 6,441 6.8 yr
74 Saint Bernard Dog Dog
7.7%
100 1,292 4.4 yr
75 Friesian Horse
7.7%
4 52 11.9 yr
76 Terrier - Bedlington Dog
7.7%
5 65 7.0 yr
77 Maine Coon Cat
7.6%
181 2,383 7.2 yr
78 Shar Pei Dog
7.5%
98 1,304 5.5 yr
79 American Shorthair Cat
7.5%
33 442 7.1 yr
80 Domestic Shorthair Cat
7.2%
4,716 65,226 7.1 yr
81 Russian Cat
7.2%
44 611 7.7 yr
82 Cattle Dog - Flanders (Bouvier) Dog
7.2%
21 292 5.0 yr
83 Warmblood (unspecified) Horse
7.0%
38 541 12.8 yr
84 Spaniel - American Water Dog
7.0%
4 57 5.6 yr
85 Snowshoe Cat
7.0%
8 114 7.6 yr
86 Newfoundland Dog
7.0%
91 1,299 4.9 yr
87 American Pit Bull Terrier Dog
7.0%
97 1,392 5.6 yr
88 Domestic Longhair Cat
7.0%
670 9,615 7.6 yr
89 Terrier - Kerry Blue Dog
6.9%
5 72 6.1 yr
90 Irish Wolfhound Dog
6.9%
20 290 4.0 yr
91 Spitz - Dutch (Keeshond) Dog
6.9%
23 335 6.7 yr
92 Collie - Bearded Dog
6.9%
12 175 8.0 yr
93 Hairless Dog - Mexican Dog
6.8%
4 59 5.4 yr
94 Sheepdog - Shetland Dog
6.7%
277 4,159 6.8 yr
95 Shepherd Dog - Belgian Tervueren Dog
6.6%
8 122 6.0 yr
96 Chow Chow Dog
6.4%
133 2,065 7.4 yr
97 Bullmastiff Dog
6.4%
35 548 3.8 yr
98 Crossbred Feline/cat Cat
6.3%
36 571 6.7 yr
99 Mastiff Dog
6.2%
182 2,950 3.4 yr
100 Dogue de Bordeaux Dog
6.2%
9 146 4.0 yr

Download the openFDA animal adverse-event extract cited on this page: plainbreed-openfda-aers-statistics.csv (FDA public records · CC BY 4.0).