Reaction profile

The FDA adverse-event record for sudden death

1,216 FDA adverse-event reports reference sudden death (VeDDRA 982). See the species, breeds, and drugs most associated with it below.

1,216
reports citing this reaction
99.8%
death-coded share
Dog
most-affected species
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad
most-associated drug
Verify with FDA CVM →
1,216
Total Reports
1,213
Deaths
99.8%
Death Rate

Species Most Affected

Dog 678
Cat 239
Cattle 208
Horse 40
Pig 18
Sheep 9
Rabbit 6
Chicken 4
Turkey 3
Goat 3

Breeds Most Affected

Domestic Shorthair 157
Retriever - Labrador 69
Mixed (Cattle) 54
Cattle (other) 48
Shepherd Dog - German 44
Chihuahua 39
Holstein-Friesian also known as Holstein 39
Retriever - Golden 30
Dog (unknown) 28
Boxer (German Boxer) 26

Associated Drugs

Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad 129
Cefovecin 73
Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid 70
Maropitant Citrate 66
Spinosad 61
Carprofen 54
Moxidectin 51
Selamectin 40
Oclacitinib Maleate 32
Prednisone 31
Trilostane 30
Buprenorphine 30
Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride 30
Fluralaner Chew Tablets 29
Meloxicam 27
Butorphanol 27
Dexmedetomidine 25
Enrofloxacin 24
Bedinvetmab 24
Nitenpyram 23

Sudden death Reaction Insights

1,216 reports name Sudden death; 1,213 recorded a death outcome (99.8% of reported events, not a population-level mortality rate). VeDDRA code: 982.

By species: Dog (678 reports), Cat (239 reports), Cattle (208 reports). By breed: Domestic Shorthair (157), Retriever - Labrador (69), Mixed (Cattle) (54).

Most co-reported drugs: Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (129 reports), Cefovecin (73 reports), Ceftiofur Crystalline Free Acid (70 reports), Maropitant Citrate (66 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.