Pet Drug Reports

Months › 2018

Month received

January 2018: adverse event reports received

4,841 reports in the openFDA release of 28 Sep 2026

4,841reports received
5,186same month a year earlier-7%
6,423monthly average, preceding 12 months
70.4%concern dogscats 10.8%

FDA's database holds 4,841 adverse event reports received in January 2018, against 5,186 in the same month a year earlier and a monthly average of 6,423 over the preceding 12 months.

70.4% of the month's reports concern dogs, 10.8% cats and 0.9% horses; the rest concern other species, exposed people, or give no species.

By active ingredient, the drugs named most often were ivermectin + pyrantel pamoate (712), milbemycin oxime + spinosad (580) and fluralaner (458), and the terms listed most often were vomiting (845), ineffective, heartworm larvae (422) and lethargy (413). Report volume has a seasonal shape, with more reports in the warmer months when parasite products are in heavier use.

The months around it

04,0808,160Jul 2016: 6,746Aug 2016: 7,511Sep 2016: 6,534Oct 2016: 5,941Nov 2016: 5,415Dec 2016: 4,410Jan 2017: 5,1862017Feb 2017: 5,230Mar 2017: 6,549Apr 2017: 6,712May 2017: 8,160Jun 2017: 8,158Jul 2017: 7,428Aug 2017: 7,749Sep 2017: 5,952Oct 2017: 6,462Nov 2017: 5,432Dec 2017: 4,063Jan 2018: 4,8412018Feb 2018: 4,505Mar 2018: 5,671Apr 2018: 6,033May 2018: 7,451Jun 2018: 7,191Jul 2018: 6,676

← Dec 2017Feb 2018 →

Drugs named most often, by active ingredient

Active ingredients recorded for the drugReportsShare of the month's reports
Ivermectin + Pyrantel Pamoate71214.7%
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad58012%
Fluralaner4589.5%
Oclacitinib2334.8%
Afoxolaner2294.7%
Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel2064.3%
Moxidectin1863.8%
Selamectin1483.1%
Lufenuron + Milbemycin Oxime1312.7%
Grapiprant1292.7%
Sarolaner1252.6%
Carprofen1222.5%
Spinosad1182.4%
Melarsomine Dihydrochloride1092.3%
Imidacloprid + Moxidectin1052.2%

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

  1. Vomiting17.5%845
  2. Ineffective, heartworm larvae[legacy FDA term: the product did not have the expected effect (heartworm larvae)]8.7%422
  3. Lethargy[unusually tired or inactive]8.5%413
  4. Diarrhoea[diarrhea]5.8%283
  5. Ineffective, hooks[legacy FDA term: the product did not have the expected effect (hooks)]4.2%204
  6. Lack of efficacy (flea)[the product did not have the expected effect: fleas]3.6%173
  7. Anorexia[not eating]3.1%152
  8. Lack of efficacy - NOS[the product did not have the expected effect]3.1%148
  9. Overdose[more than the labelled amount was given]2.8%136
  10. Unpalatable[legacy FDA term: the animal would not take it]2.8%136
  11. Ineffective, ascarids[legacy FDA term: the product did not have the expected effect (ascarids)]2.7%131
  12. Behavioural disorder NOS[behaviour change, type not specified]2.6%124
  13. Death2.6%124
  14. Emesis (multiple)[vomiting more than once]2.5%122

Single ingredients, pooled

Species

Dog70.4%3,410
Cat10.8%524
Horse0.9%43
Other or not given17.8%864

Questions about January 2018

How many animal drug adverse event reports did FDA receive in January 2018?

4,841 reports are in the openFDA release of 28 Sep 2026. The same month a year earlier has 5,186.

Which drugs were named most often?

By active ingredient: ivermectin + pyrantel pamoate (712), milbemycin oxime + spinosad (580), fluralaner (458), oclacitinib (233) and afoxolaner (229). Brands are masked in the public data.

Which signs were listed most often?

vomiting (845), ineffective, heartworm larvae (422), lethargy (413), diarrhoea (283) and ineffective, hooks (204).

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.