Reaction profile

The FDA adverse-event record for excessive licking and/or grooming

1,417 FDA adverse-event reports reference excessive licking and/or grooming (VeDDRA 1974). See the species, breeds, and drugs most associated with it below.

1,417
reports citing this reaction
3.2%
death-coded share
Cat
most-affected species
Nitenpyram
most-associated drug
Verify with FDA CVM →
1,417
Total Reports
46
Deaths
3.2%
Death Rate

Species Most Affected

Cat 795
Dog 591
Cattle 22
Guinea Pig 2
Unknown 2
Mouse 2
Rabbit 1
Rat 1
Horse 1

Breeds Most Affected

Domestic Shorthair 409
Domestic Longhair 104
Crossbred Canine/dog 67
Cat (unknown) 57
Domestic Mediumhair 53
Domestic (unspecified) 50
Retriever - Labrador 43
Maine Coon 33
Chihuahua 29
Shih Tzu 27

Associated Drugs

Nitenpyram 316
Imidacloprid + Moxidectin 199
Spinosad 92
Fluralaner Spot-On Solution 80
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad 79
Selamectin 65
Emodepside + Praziquantel 63
Carprofen 31
Trilostane 28
Cyclosporine 26
Fluralaner Chew Tablets 26
Ivermectin, Pyrantel 24
Selamectin;Sarolaner 21
Flumethrin-Imidacloprid 20
Imidacloprid, Moxidectin 17
Fipronil 17
Ivermectin + Pyrantel As Pamoate Salt 17
Afoxolaner 17
Cefovecin Sodium 16
Cefovecin 16

Excessive licking and/or grooming Reaction Insights

1,417 reports name Excessive licking and/or grooming; 46 recorded a death outcome (3.2% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). VeDDRA code: 1974.

By species: Cat (795 reports), Dog (591 reports), Cattle (22 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (409), Domestic Longhair (104), Crossbred Canine/dog (67).

Most co-reported drugs: Nitenpyram (316 reports), Imidacloprid + Moxidectin (199 reports), Spinosad (92 reports), Fluralaner Spot-On Solution (80 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.