Merck Animal Health has been hit with a class action lawsuit by consumers who claim that their dog and cat drug Bravecto contains a pesticide that is harmful to pets.
Bravecto tablets and topical medications are used on both cats and dogs, and are marketed as a way to prevent ticks and fleas for up to three months.
Plaintiff Valerie Palmieri says she paid just under $50 for one Bravecto chewable tablet to treat her 78 pound German Shepherd Jake for fleas and ticks.
After taking the pill, Jake started to vomit, did not eat, and began to show symptoms of lethargy, according to the Bravecto class action lawsuit. The plaintiff reportedly took Jake to the emergency animal clinic after the dog was no longer able to walk.
Palmieri claims that she contacted Merck to talk about Jake’s possible adverse reaction to taking the drug. The company allegedly denied that that Jake’s sickness was caused by Bravecto but offered to pay for the emergency room visit.
However, the company would only pay if she signed an agreement which would release any claims against the company, according to the Bravecto class action lawsuit.
The plaintiff states that she refused to release her claims as she wasn’t sure if Jake’s symptoms would be long-term and was still not sure if her dog’s symptoms were caused by the drug.
After more tests and a trip to a neurologist, the plaintiff’s veterinarian allegedly told her that he “presumed” that Jake’s diagnosis of meningitis was a result of “Bravecto toxicity,” which was contrary to what she was told by the defendant.
Since he ingested the drug, Jake has continued to have neurological episodes, according to the Bravecto class action lawsuit. In September of this year, he reportedly fell down a flight of stairs and broke his leg. The plaintiff claims that she has spent “tens of thousands of dollars” treating Jake after he ingested Bravecto.
Palmieri says that when she purchased the tablet, the packaging and materials enclosed therein did not state that neurological adverse reactions were possible when taking the pill. In addition, the defendant allegedly did not tell veterinarians about the possible safety issues that the drug posed to pets.
“Because Defendant failed to disclose the risks of Bravecto to consumers and misrepresented the safety of Bravecto, consumers would be reasonable in purchasing Bravecto to treat their pets in a safe manner,” the class action lawsuit notes.
The Bravecto class action lawsuit also states that in September 2018, the FDA issued an alert about the possible neurological events that are associated with medicines like Bravecto to treat fleas and ticks.
The FDA has subsequently asked manufacturers to change their labels to “highlight neurological events because these events were seen consistently across the isoxazoline class of products” and “to provide veterinarians and pet owners with the information they need to make treatment decisions for each pet on an individual basis,” according to the Bravecto class action lawsuit.
The plaintiff states that the defendant now discloses that there may be some neurological reactions to taking Bravecto, including tremors, ataxia, and seizures.
“Every consumer who purchased Bravecto without being informed of the true facts about its health and safety risks prior to purchase was injured at the point of sale when, instead of obtaining a safe flea and tick medication, they obtained Defendant’s unreasonably dangerous and defective product,” the Bravecto class action lawsuit states.
Did you purchase Bravecto for your pet? Leave a message in the comments section below.
The plaintiff is represented by Mark A. Dicello, Adam J. Levitt, and Amy E. Keller of DiCello Levitt and Gutzler LLC and Jessica J. Sleater and Ralph N. Sianni of Andersen Sleater Sianni LLC.
The Bravecto Class Action Lawsuit is Valerie Palmieri v. Intervet Inc., et. al, Case No. 2:19-cv-22024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
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1,847 thoughts onBravecto Class Action Says Meds Aren’t Safe For Pets
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My dog was a two year old golden doodle. In October of 2024 she kept getting sick and I kept taking her to the vet. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I finally took her to UC Davis, where they diagnosed her with spinal meningitis.
I know it was from the Bravecto. I had just given her it to her and I’ve been having trouble with her getting sick for no reason. I finally associated it with the flea medicine. The problem is as you give it to them and then the symptoms don’t start for a couple of weeks.
Honeybee survived. With lots of love and care. She still however, isn’t normal. We finally a year and a half later been able to wean her off of the prednisone. She does however, remain on a chemo type therapy to keep the meningitis at bay. While the doctors don’t say it wasn’t from that they won’t say it was. Honeybee is still currently also getting acupuncture her back and remains weak in her back legs. I walk her a mile a day to try to keep her muscles up. She ended up getting Cushing’s, of course from the prednisone. It’s been a long hard road and lots of money. But how do you put a dog down that’s only two years old? I just wish they would’ve put some sort of warning on the label or symptoms to look for. The lack of appetite and vomiting would’ve been a sure sign. If someone would’ve told me. I could never figure out why my dog would all of a sudden get deathly sick. We even got her fixed at two years and I thought maybe it had cured her. But then six months later we gave her the Bravecto and the symptoms started all over again that’s when I knew.
Flea Treats work great as preventatives if you don’t already have a flea problem; if you do, the safest thing I’ve found is Capshield Maxx. These together work great!
my dog‘s name is Maya. She’s a little over two years old. I need to find what I could do because she took the flea medicine. I’m worried that she’s going to die. HELP PLEASE WHAT CAN I GIVE HER FOR FLEE . The vet said nothing . This has me freaking out. I HAVE ptsd I AM A EX military. HELP PLEASE WHAT CAN SHE TAKES FOR FREEZ HELP ME PLEASE