December 1998: adverse event reports received

3,078 reports in the openFDA release of 28 Sep 2026

Read this first · FDA's caveat, in its words

An API dataset query result cannot be used to estimate the risk associated with the product or compare one drug or device product with another. When looking at the results, be aware that there is no certainty that the reported drug or device caused the adverse event. This dataset should not be the sole source of information for clinical decision-making or other assumptions about the safety or effectiveness of a product. The adverse event may have been related to an underlying disease, other drugs used at the same time or other non-drug related sources. FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine

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Not veterinary advice. This site lists what was reported to FDA. For an animal that is unwell, contact a veterinarian.

3,078reports received

294same month a year earlier+947%

571monthly average, preceding 12 months

90.1%concern dogscats 2.6%

FDA's database holds 3,078 adverse event reports received in December 1998, against 294 in the same month a year earlier and a monthly average of 571 over the preceding 12 months.

90.1% of the month's reports concern dogs, 2.6% cats and 1.1% horses; the rest concern other species, exposed people, or give no species.

By active ingredient, the drugs named most often were carprofen (2,612), ormetoprim + sulfadimethoxine (57) and moxidectin (42), and the terms listed most often were elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) (733), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (688) and anorexia (546). Report volume has a seasonal shape, with more reports in the warmer months when parasite products are in heavier use.

The months around it

Drugs named most often, by active ingredient

Active ingredients recorded for the drug	Reports	Share of the month's reports
Carprofen	2,612	84.9%
Ormetoprim + Sulfadimethoxine	57	1.9%
Moxidectin	42	1.4%
Etodolac	38	1.2%
Ampicillin Trihydrate	36	1.2%
Amoxicillin	18	0.6%
Propofol	16	0.5%
Selegiline Hydrochloride	15	0.5%
Medetomidine	14	0.5%
Lufenuron	13	0.4%
Enrofloxacin	12	0.4%
Eprinomectin	10	0.3%
Tilmicosin Phosphate	10	0.3%
Imidocarb Dipropionate	9	0.3%
Tiletamine Hydrochloride + Zolazepam Hydrochloride	9	0.3%

Ordered by report count, which follows how widely each drug was in use. FDA states that these data cannot be used to estimate risk or to compare one product with another. Brand and manufacturer names are masked by FDA in these records.

Signs listed most often

Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP)[a liver and bone enzyme above the normal range]23.8%733
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT)[a liver enzyme above the normal range]22.4%688
Anorexia[not eating]17.7%546
Vomiting17.5%538
Depression[dull, quiet or withdrawn]10%308
Elevated total bilirubin[bilirubin above the normal range]9.2%284
Diarrhoea[diarrhea]7%216
Icterus[jaundice (yellowing)]6.5%199
Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN)[a kidney value above the normal range]4.9%151
Convulsion[seizure]4.8%149
Elevated liver enzymes[liver enzymes above the normal range]4.4%134
Anaemia NOS[low red blood cell count]4.3%131
Elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST)[a liver and muscle enzyme above the normal range]4.2%130
Elevated creatinine[a kidney value above the normal range]4%124
Accidental exposure[exposure that was not intended]3.9%121

Single ingredients, pooled

Carprofen84.9%2,612

Sulfadimethoxine1.9%58

Ormetoprim1.9%57

Moxidectin1.4%42

Etodolac1.2%38

Ampicillin Trihydrate1.2%36

Amoxicillin0.6%18

Lufenuron0.6%17

Propofol0.5%16

Selegiline Hydrochloride0.5%15

Medetomidine0.5%14

Ivermectin0.4%13

Species

Dog90.1%2,774

Cat2.6%79

Horse1.1%35

Other or not given6.2%190

Questions about December 1998

How many animal drug adverse event reports did FDA receive in December 1998?

3,078 reports are in the openFDA release of 28 Sep 2026. The same month a year earlier has 294.

Which drugs were named most often?

By active ingredient: carprofen (2,612), ormetoprim + sulfadimethoxine (57), moxidectin (42), etodolac (38) and ampicillin trihydrate (36). Brands are masked in the public data.

Which signs were listed most often?

elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) (733), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (688), anorexia (546), vomiting (538) and depression (308).

Can the count for a month still change?

Yes. FDA posts reports quarterly with a delay of three to six months, so the newest months are incomplete and usually grow in later releases. Older months change little.

Does a busy month mean something went wrong that month?

Not by itself. The date is when FDA received the report, not when the event happened, and volume follows season, product launches and publicity. FDA states that "there is no certainty that the reported drug or device caused the adverse event" and that the event "may have been related to an underlying disease, other drugs used at the same time or other non-drug related sources."

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Animal & Veterinary adverse event bulk files released 28 Sep 2026, which hold reports FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine received through 31 Mar 2026. openFDA masks brand and manufacturer names in these files, so drugs are counted by the active ingredients each record discloses and no figure is attributed to a brand, application or company. Ingredient names, and the separate reference lists of approved products, follow the FDA Green Book as of 1 Oct 2026. The month is the date FDA first received the report, not the date of the event. No report text, lot numbers or reporter details are published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.