Pet Drug Reports

Months › 2020

Month received

September 2020: adverse event reports received

5,904 reports in the openFDA release of 28 Sep 2026

5,904reports received
6,010same month a year earlier-2%
5,748monthly average, preceding 12 months
74.6%concern dogscats 10.6%

FDA's database holds 5,904 adverse event reports received in September 2020, against 6,010 in the same month a year earlier and a monthly average of 5,748 over the preceding 12 months.

74.6% of the month's reports concern dogs, 10.6% cats and 0.8% horses; the rest concern other species, exposed people, or give no species.

By active ingredient, the drugs named most often were ivermectin + pyrantel pamoate (779), fluralaner (680) and afoxolaner (457), and the terms listed most often were vomiting (1,006), lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm (677) and lethargy (505). Report volume has a seasonal shape, with more reports in the warmer months when parasite products are in heavier use.

The months around it

03,7287,456Mar 2019: 5,535Apr 2019: 6,954May 2019: 7,456Jun 2019: 6,991Jul 2019: 7,230Aug 2019: 6,638Sep 2019: 6,010Oct 2019: 6,436Nov 2019: 4,840Dec 2019: 4,220Jan 2020: 5,2952020Feb 2020: 4,729Mar 2020: 5,327Apr 2020: 5,531May 2020: 6,401Jun 2020: 7,366Jul 2020: 6,509Aug 2020: 6,306Sep 2020: 5,904Oct 2020: 5,892Nov 2020: 4,799Dec 2020: 4,308Jan 2021: 4,5652021Feb 2021: 4,232Mar 2021: 5,948

← Aug 2020Oct 2020 →

Drugs named most often, by active ingredient

Active ingredients recorded for the drugReportsShare of the month's reports
Ivermectin + Pyrantel Pamoate77913.2%
Fluralaner68011.5%
Afoxolaner4577.7%
Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad4407.5%
Moxidectin4397.4%
Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel3686.2%
Pyrantel Pamoate + Sarolaner2684.5%
Oclacitinib2153.6%
Sarolaner2153.6%
Nitenpyram1592.7%
Lotilaner1522.6%
Sarolaner + Selamectin1392.4%
Selamectin1352.3%
Imidacloprid + Moxidectin1272.2%
Lufenuron + Milbemycin Oxime1141.9%

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%1,006
  2. Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm[the product did not have the expected effect: heartworm]11.5%677
  3. Lethargy[unusually tired or inactive]8.6%505
  4. Lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea[the product did not have the expected effect: fleas]7.7%453
  5. Diarrhoea[diarrhea]5.5%325
  6. Lack of efficacy - NOS[the product did not have the expected effect]3.4%203
  7. Seizure NOS[seizure, type not specified]3.4%203
  8. Unpalatable[legacy FDA term: the animal would not take it]3%176
  9. Death3%175
  10. Lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - roundworm NOS[the product did not have the expected effect: roundworms]2.7%162
  11. Anorexia[not eating]2.5%148
  12. Behavioural disorder NOS[behaviour change, type not specified]2.1%126
  13. Emesis (multiple)[vomiting more than once]2%120
  14. Ineffective, hooks[legacy FDA term: the product did not have the expected effect (hooks)]2%119
  15. Ataxia[unsteady, uncoordinated movement]1.9%114

Single ingredients, pooled

Ivermectin14.6%861
Fluralaner12.3%724
Sarolaner10.5%620
Moxidectin10.4%613
Spinosad8.6%508
Afoxolaner7.7%457
Selamectin4.6%272

Species

Dog74.6%4,406
Cat10.6%625
Horse0.8%47
Other or not given14%826

Questions about September 2020

How many animal drug adverse event reports did FDA receive in September 2020?

5,904 reports are in the openFDA release of 28 Sep 2026. The same month a year earlier has 6,010.

Which drugs were named most often?

By active ingredient: ivermectin + pyrantel pamoate (779), fluralaner (680), afoxolaner (457), milbemycin oxime + spinosad (440) and moxidectin (439). Brands are masked in the public data.

Which signs were listed most often?

vomiting (1,006), lack of efficacy (endoparasite) - heartworm (677), lethargy (505), lack of efficacy (ectoparasite) - flea (453) and diarrhoea (325).

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.