Research

Download the openFDA animal adverse-event extract cited on this page: plainbreed-openfda-aers-statistics.csv (FDA public records · CC BY 4.0).

According to the U.S. FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine's voluntary animal adverse-event reporting program, more than 1,085,823 reports have been submitted by veterinarians and pet owners across 510 breeds in the current openFDA extract PlainBreed ingests (2010–2026). PlainBreed publishes original data research derived from this dataset, with every page citing primary sources inline and documenting methodology, limits, and refresh cadence. See our methodology page for full FDA CVM source attribution.

What can you learn from PlainBreed research?

What this research covers

PlainBreed research ranks FDA CVM animal adverse-event reports across 1,085,823 reports spanning 510 breeds in the current openFDA extract (2010–2026).

1,085,823
adverse-event reports
510
breeds in extract
2010–2026
report years covered

Studies below answer one ranking or trend question each from the live FDA-CVM mirror; they are descriptive reporting statistics, not veterinary diagnosis or treatment advice.

A long-window look at how veterinary adverse-event reporting changed across the live openFDA extract (2010–2026), with complete-year totals kept separate from any trailing partial year. We explore what the trend reflects about reporting infrastructure as well as actual incidence, with breed-level and event-type breakdowns derived from the underlying dataset.

Breed Weight and Death-Coded Report Share in Dogs

We pair breed body-weight data with adverse-event outcomes across our breed-stats table to test whether larger breeds show systematically different mortality rates. The article documents methodology, statistical caveats, and the difference between association and causation in observational reporting data.

How we do research

Every PlainBreed research article is grounded in our own database, which mirrors the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine adverse-event reporting system. We do not commission new data collection; we surface what the public-domain feed already records, normalize it across the FDA's evolving report formats, and apply consistent breed and event-category labels.

Each article opens with a one-paragraph thesis, a description of the data window, and a plain description of what was included or excluded. We then walk through findings with charts and tables drawn from the current dataset. We close every article with a candid limitations section.

Every figure in our research comes from a single source, the FDA CVM adverse-event dataset, and we say so on each article. We do not blend in outside datasets or estimates, we do not accept payment for editorial coverage, and we do not present a breed or product more favorably because of any commercial relationship.

Open methodology

The FDA-CVM adverse-event dataset has known biases: it is voluntary, skewed toward severe outcomes, and shifts composition as reporting infrastructure evolves. When we publish a count or a ranking, we explicitly state which slice of the data the count was drawn from and how the slice would change the answer. Readers can verify any number we publish against the upstream FDA-CVM source.

We do not extrapolate from voluntary-report counts to population-incidence estimates. We do not present rankings as recommendations. PlainBreed exists to help responsible owners and clinicians ask better questions; it does not replace a veterinarian's diagnosis. Always consult a qualified DVM for medical decisions affecting an animal in your care.