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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1,807 thoughts onBravecto Class Action Says Meds Aren’t Safe For Pets
I gave my dal bravecto and about 10 days later he almost died from pancreatitis, vomiting and diarrhea,. I changed to the ointment as suggested by one of my vets and now about one year later, he is vomiting again 10 days after the ointment has been applied. I took him to the vet again, and they are running tests. I have spent over $5000.00 on his care and treatment.
So sorry to all who have had such horrible reactions to Bravecto. I’ve always wondered how ingesting this stuff could be ok for our pets. My dog got sick from frontline so I switched to Bravecto. But now I’m wondering what are the safe alternatives to having my dog eat these chemicals? No wonder he never wants it. Does anyone know any other alternatives that work. We have so many ticks where we live. I worry about Lyme Dz.
I gave my 2 and a half year old Standard Schnauzer Bravecto for the first time on 6/15/20. Within 5 days my perfectly house-trained dog, who hadn’t had an accident in 2 years, began peeing in the house. He has had to be taken out much more frequently and urinates for long periods of time each time. Today, 6/25/20, he eliminated 4 times in 15 minutes for more than 30 seconds each time. He seems to be forcing during urination and having discomfort. When analyzing any changes in his diet/routine we realized that the only change we had made was starting Bravecto. As I was researching side effects of the drug, I realized that kidney issues were common and could lead to frequent urination.
My shih tzu began neurological symptoms after her first dose. She had some ataxia in her back legs then seizures both petit mal and now grand mal seizures. The vet did not deny that the oral flea/tick Bravecto could have caused it, just seemed to agree and recommend medications. The first just made her ataxia worse and the other was so expensive I couldn’t afford it long term – very difficult to dose as well since it was recommended not to be broken and had to be stuffed down her throat every 8 hours. So sad. Now I just have to watch her have seizures and hope that they don’t kill her.
I gave my 3 year old her first Braceto tab on Tuesday, June 23, 2020. She hasn’t been the same since. Lethargic, diarrhea and not eating. Will never ue again.
I gave my cat her second dose of Bravecto in March of this year (2020). (First dose was last summer, with no apparent side effects). I noticed she seemed not to be able to hear well about three weeks later. We were locked down for Coronavirus and the vet was only seeing animals on an emergency basis. I was able to take her in a few weeks ago. Her ears are healthy, but she can’t hear at all from her left ear and her right is impaired. She’s an otherwise healthy three-year old cat. I give her no vaccines other than required rabies, which (shot) she had in September 2019. No other medications. No apparent physical cause for her hearing loss.
Our 10 year old Boston Terrier, George, was given a Bravecto Chew last Wednesday ( June 17th 2020) Within an hour he was showing signs of distress. The next day he could not walk straight and seemed to be in a daze. He vomited twice that morning and had a blank stare on his face. When you looked in his eyes he just was not there. I later found out the stare was a absence seizure. He was not able to walk and had major twitching.That evening we rushed him to our vet (This vet did not prescribe the Bravecto) George had a large seizure at the vet. He was given a rectal diazapam immediately and the seizure halted. George seemed normal again. We went home thinking all was good but 3 days later it all happened again. We rushed him to a 24 hour Emergency Vet where he was put on an IV and monitored overnight. That Vet also doubted the Bravecto was the cause. Suggested we have a $3500 MRI to rule out a tumor which we declined. He was discharged and we were told all was fine. The next day once again the blank stare and later seizure. Back to the ER Vet who gave him Levetiracetam for the seizure and sent us home with an RX for seizures and nausea. The vet poo poohed the idea of Bravecto causing these. So now we have our very much loved Boston on anti seizure medicine and no idea how long long this will last and no Vet who seems interested in helping us really find whats wrong.
my2 pits got bravecto from are vet my one was ok but the other got sick lost hair and then started limping so i tuck her to my vet they told me she got cancer there wasnt anything wrong with her befor she got the bravecto
My dog was sick for a year and a half and almost died from Bravecto.
My 4 year old english bulldog took Brevecto and died of kidney failure. Otherwise perfectly healthy.
My cat became lethargic after being treated with Bravecto. She is at the vet right now on an IV fighting for her life. She will be hospitalized for 3-5 days.