Reaction profile

The FDA adverse-event record for agitation

5,539 FDA adverse-event reports reference agitation (VeDDRA 121). See the species, breeds, and drugs most associated with it below.

5,539
reports citing this reaction
5.3%
death-coded share
Dog
most-affected species
Nitenpyram
most-associated drug
Verify with FDA CVM →
5,539
Total Reports
293
Deaths
5.3%
Death Rate

Species Most Affected

Dog 3,118
Cat 2,228
Horse 151
Cattle 28
Pig 3
Goat 2
Other 2
Crustacea 1
Cockatiel 1
Donkey 1

Breeds Most Affected

Domestic Shorthair 1,250
Domestic Longhair 329
Retriever - Labrador 308
Crossbred Canine/dog 269
Cat (unknown) 166
Domestic Mediumhair 149
Chihuahua 148
Shepherd Dog - German 129
Terrier - Yorkshire 126
Retriever - Golden 113

Associated Drugs

Nitenpyram 1,105
Imidacloprid + Moxidectin 582
Buprenorphine 305
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad 283
Afoxolaner 236
Spinosad 185
Phenylpropanolamine Hcl 147
Fluralaner Spot-On Solution 135
Selamectin 131
Oclacitinib Maleate 115
Ivermectin + Pyrantel As Pamoate Salt 114
Maropitant Citrate 111
Emodepside + Praziquantel 108
Moxidectin 107
Fluralaner Chew Tablets 94
Gabapentin 88
Febantel + Praziquantel + Pyrantel Pamoate 83
Isoflurane 82
Carprofen 80
Sarolaner 79

Agitation Reaction Insights

5,539 reports name Agitation; 293 recorded a death outcome (5.3% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). VeDDRA code: 121.

By species: Dog (3,118 reports), Cat (2,228 reports), Horse (151 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (1,250), Domestic Longhair (329), Retriever - Labrador (308).

Most co-reported drugs: Nitenpyram (1,105 reports), Imidacloprid + Moxidectin (582 reports), Buprenorphine (305 reports), Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (283 reports).

Read these counts as reporting volume, not risk: per our methodology, co-reporting reflects temporal association captured in voluntary submissions, not proof that a drug caused this reaction. A widely-prescribed drug will rack up more raw co-reports at an identical true rate than a rarely-used one, so compare within similar-exposure products.

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.