Reaction profile

The FDA adverse-event record for involuntary defecation

633 FDA adverse-event reports reference involuntary defecation (VeDDRA 270). See the species, breeds, and drugs most associated with it below.

633
reports citing this reaction
17.5%
death-coded share
Dog
most-affected species
Moxidectin
most-associated drug
Verify with FDA CVM →
633
Total Reports
111
Deaths
17.5%
Death Rate

Species Most Affected

Dog 568
Cat 59
Horse 2
Cattle 2
Other Canids 1
Human 1

Breeds Most Affected

Retriever - Labrador 62
Domestic Shorthair 37
Chihuahua 30
Crossbred Canine/dog 26
Shih Tzu 24
Terrier - Yorkshire 23
Terrier - Bull - American Pit 22
Dog (unknown) 19
Retriever - Golden 19
Beagle 18

Associated Drugs

Moxidectin 129
Melarsomine Dihydrochloride 43
Afoxolaner 42
Maropitant Citrate 42
Bedinvetmab 40
Pyrantel Pamoate;Sarolaner 31
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad 29
Fluralaner Chew Tablets 27
Carprofen 25
Cefovecin 24
Prednisone 24
Gabapentin 23
Fluralaner 13.64% 12-Week Chew 21
Melarsomine Dihydrochloride Injection 20
Diphenhydramine Hcl 19
Bordetella Bronchiseptica 92B 012992-7 Strain Boehringer Ingelheim 19
Leptospira Canicola L-15 Strain C-51;Leptospira Grippotyphosa 1550 Lot 10005 Str 19
Rabies Virus, 18
Dexamethasone 17
Ivermectin + Pyrantel As Pamoate Salt 17

Involuntary defecation Reaction Insights

633 reports name Involuntary defecation; 111 recorded a death outcome (17.5% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). VeDDRA code: 270.

By species: Dog (568 reports), Cat (59 reports), Horse (2 reports). By breed: Retriever - Labrador (62), Domestic Shorthair (37), Chihuahua (30).

Most co-reported drugs: Moxidectin (129 reports), Melarsomine Dihydrochloride (43 reports), Afoxolaner (42 reports), Maropitant Citrate (42 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.