Reaction profile

The FDA adverse-event record for biting - pruritus (see also 'behavioural disorders')

341 FDA adverse-event reports reference biting - pruritus (see also 'behavioural disorders') (VeDDRA 2608). See the species, breeds, and drugs most associated with it below.

341
reports citing this reaction
1.5%
death-coded share
Dog
most-affected species
Nitenpyram
most-associated drug
Verify with FDA CVM →
341
Total Reports
5
Deaths
1.5%
Death Rate

Species Most Affected

Dog 188
Cat 150
Horse 2
Donkey 1

Breeds Most Affected

Domestic Shorthair 88
Domestic Longhair 20
Crossbred Canine/dog 16
Retriever - Labrador 12
Domestic Mediumhair 12
Shepherd Dog - German 10
Chihuahua 9
Pit Bull 8
Shih Tzu 8
Terrier - Yorkshire 8

Associated Drugs

Nitenpyram 68
Afoxolaner 34
Fluralaner Spot-On Solution 32
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad 21
Fluralaner Chew Tablets 20
Selamectin;Sarolaner 19
Fluralaner 13.64% 12-Week Chew 19
Pyrantel Pamoate;Sarolaner 19
Lotilaner 18
Imidacloprid + Moxidectin 14
Sarolaner 13
Selamectin 12
Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel 9
Ivermectin + Pyrantel As Pamoate Salt 8
Fluralaner/Moxidectin Spot-On 8
Flea Collar 4
Cefovecin 3
Ivermectin 3
Flumethrin-Imidacloprid 3
Gabapentin 3

Biting - pruritus (see also 'Behavioural disorders') Reaction Insights

341 reports name Biting - pruritus (see also 'Behavioural disorders'); 5 recorded a death outcome (1.5% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). VeDDRA code: 2608.

By species: Dog (188 reports), Cat (150 reports), Horse (2 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (88), Domestic Longhair (20), Crossbred Canine/dog (16).

Most co-reported drugs: Nitenpyram (68 reports), Afoxolaner (34 reports), Fluralaner Spot-On Solution (32 reports), Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (21 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.