December 2008: adverse event reports received

2,270 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.

2,270reports received

1,829same month a year earlier+24%

2,819monthly average, preceding 12 months

73.6%concern dogscats 7.9%

FDA's database holds 2,270 adverse event reports received in December 2008, against 1,829 in the same month a year earlier and a monthly average of 2,819 over the preceding 12 months.

73.6% of the month's reports concern dogs, 7.9% cats and 1.2% horses; the rest concern other species, exposed people, or give no species.

By active ingredient, the drugs named most often were ivermectin + pyrantel pamoate (404), spinosad (219) and milbemycin oxime (199), and the terms listed most often were vomiting (386), ineffective, heartworm larvae (382) and depression (232). 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
Ivermectin + Pyrantel Pamoate	404	17.8%
Spinosad	219	9.6%
Milbemycin Oxime	199	8.8%
Selamectin	145	6.4%
Carprofen	116	5.1%
Cyclosporine	96	4.2%
Melarsomine Dihydrochloride	65	2.9%
Deracoxib	60	2.6%
Lufenuron + Milbemycin Oxime	60	2.6%
Meloxicam	54	2.4%
Cefovecin sodium	43	1.9%
Ivermectin	39	1.7%
Firocoxib	38	1.7%
Dirlotapide	35	1.5%
Amoxicillin	30	1.3%

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

Vomiting17%386
Ineffective, heartworm larvae[legacy FDA term: the product did not have the expected effect (heartworm larvae)]16.8%382
Depression[dull, quiet or withdrawn]10.2%232
Anorexia[not eating]8.6%196
Diarrhoea[diarrhea]6.5%147
Ineffective, ascarids NOS[legacy FDA term: the product did not have the expected effect (ascarids nos)]4.8%109
Accidental exposure[exposure that was not intended]4.7%107
Death4.6%104
Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - hookworm[the product did not have the expected effect: hookworms]3.9%89
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT)[a liver enzyme above the normal range]3.4%78
Ataxia[unsteady, uncoordinated movement]2.8%64
Death by euthanasia[the animal was euthanized]2.8%64
Elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP)[a liver and bone enzyme above the normal range]2.7%61
Convulsion[seizure]2.6%60
Elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN)[a kidney value above the normal range]2.5%57

Single ingredients, pooled

Ivermectin21.4%485

Pyrantel Pamoate20%455

Milbemycin Oxime11.4%259

Spinosad9.6%219

Selamectin6.4%145

Carprofen5.1%116

Cyclosporine4.2%96

Melarsomine Dihydrochloride2.9%65

Praziquantel2.8%64

Lufenuron2.7%61

Deracoxib2.6%60

Meloxicam2.4%54

Species

Dog73.6%1,670

Cat7.9%180

Horse1.2%27

Other or not given17.3%393

Questions about December 2008

How many animal drug adverse event reports did FDA receive in December 2008?

2,270 reports are in the openFDA release of 28 Sep 2026. The same month a year earlier has 1,829.

Which drugs were named most often?

By active ingredient: ivermectin + pyrantel pamoate (404), spinosad (219), milbemycin oxime (199), selamectin (145) and carprofen (116). Brands are masked in the public data.

Which signs were listed most often?

vomiting (386), ineffective, heartworm larvae (382), depression (232), anorexia (196) and diarrhoea (147).

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.