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.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
©2008 – 2024 Top Class Actions® LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
1,807 thoughts onBravecto Class Action Says Meds Aren’t Safe For Pets
i started giving my Siberian husky bravecto when he was two.. he is now 6. he had his first seizure at two.. the seizures started out less frequently and then progressed to the point he had to take medicine to treat them.. eventually i put two and two together when doing my research about bravecto and siezures. so i called my vet and asked when he was first given the bravecto and when the first seizures started. amazingly it was around the same time.. it seemed to coincidental. so i stopped giving him the bravecto.. but unfortuently it was too late the damage has been done. he still needs to take seizure medicine 3 times a day for the rest of his life. very sad he had to be exposed to this toxin and has to suffer the rest of his life. when i was picking up the kepra anit seizure meds for my dog the pharmacist said in all her 30 years in the profession she has never seen so many dog prescribed these kinds of medicines… i had to go to three different place because anit- seizure meds were on backorder. they cant even keep up with the demand. imagine that.
On the evening of July 10th, 2020, our 18 month old Siberian Husky approached us and was having trouble walking. His legs started moving in odd directions. He was full of confusion and spasming violently. He was going into a seizure like state. He tried to calm him down but the shaking got worse until he was unresponsive. His eyes narrowed and his tongue came out. It was evident his lungs were now not functioning properly and his heart stopped. He was dead with in 10 minutes. 3 weeks previous to this, our veterinarian suggested a flea and tick drug under the title of Bravecto. This drug is supposed to eliminate fleas and ticks for three months. You can put this on the pet topically or it can eat it in a solid form. Our pet has thick fur, so it was recommended that he eat it. This drug works by attacking the nervous system of the flea and tick which results in their death. Our dog had never had a seizure previously of any kind. He was only 18 months old! This was the first time he had taken Brevecto. We believe that because of the neurological nature of the drug, that it is very suspect it was his killer. Further, we have since done a great amount of research and found similar deaths from pets taking this drug all around the world. The stress and depression we have been facing since this death has been significant as per a major loss. My wife cannot get out of bed or even eat. We are having trouble going on with our lives and insist that more education on the side affects of this deadly drug to be made known to the public. Thank-you.
I gave my healthy 7 year old cat Bravecto and he has been vomiting with diarrhea every day for 3 months since Bravecto was given. I asked the vet if Bravecto would be the cause and he said no. I took my cat to the vet multiple times trying to find out why he was vomiting and losing weight with no results or diagnosis. I had bloodwork done on him and he was given antibiotics and anti vomiting meds. Nothing has helped with no answers. He has completely stopped eating and not expected to live much longer. I KNOW it was Bravecto that is ultimately going to be the reason for my cats death! Please do not give your pets Bravecto!!!
I gave my 12 year old dog the 3 month dose of Bravecto on May 5 after a vet exam where she was given a clear bill of health. Within a few days we noticed several alarming changes. During that first week after taking Bravecto, she started having 1 or 2 seizures a day until we started her on anti-seizure medication. She also had severe diarrhea, vomiting, loss of coordination, loss of appetite, low energy, drinking water excessively, seemed confused, and breathing very heavily all the time. I brought her in to see a different vet and had blood work and an ultrasound done. But we couldn’t figure out what was causing her health issues. Over the next few weeks, she started having tremors, increased respiratory distress, became unable to stand up and/or walk, and ataxia. She continued to decline steadily until we made the heart-wrenching decision to put her down on the night of June 12. I don’t understand why the vet prescribed this drug when there have been so many documented cases of illness. Giving her this drug has been the biggest regret of my life.
I gave my 3 year old Australian Shepard a dose of Bravecto. Within hours he became lethargic and irritable. He appeared to be hallucinating, as evidenced by behaviors like him growling at his water bowl, staring at things with hackles raised, and being aggressive to our other puppy who he had never had any issues with, and barking aggressively at things we couldn’t see. Before we put 2 and 2 together, we were all sitting around in the living room. My 11 year old daughter was sitting on the couch next to me reading a book. The dog was at our feet, as was usual for him. Without any provocation, he jumped up and bit my daughter in the face, tearing a large hole in her lip. She required an ER visit for suturing, antibiotics, and ongoing scar care by plastic surgery. She will always have a scar. Our dog continued to behave weirdly for about 72 hours, after which he mostly went back to his usual behavior. Never the less, we felt very uneasy about keeping him after that. My daughter was very traumatized and refused to come out of her room if he was in the house. Ultimately we made the decision to give him to a rescue with full disclosure of the bite. It was really sad for all of us, as it was such unexpected behavior, and we all loved him so much, but we had to put our daughter’s needs first. I truely believe that his unusual aggressive behavior was a neurological side effect of Bravecto. I would like to be a part of this class action law suit.
We gave our healthy 5 1/2 year old chocolate Labrador his monthly bravecto as prescribed by our veterinarian. On Sunday April 14 th 2019 he had a grand mal seizure and died in front of my eyes. He was the love of my life and I am still devastated. Please don’t give this medication to your dogs or cats. After doing some research I found out how dangerous bravecto is unfortunately too late.
My almost 12 year old dog was given Bravecto on Wed 7-1. He started panting and having breathing difficulties 7-2 late night. Early morning 7-3. I rushed him to emergency vet to discover he was in congestive heart failure with a bleak outcome. Heartbroken we euthanized him. If I could turn back time, I’d have never given this treatment. It cost us the life of a beloved pet.
My 5yr old cats had scabbing sores on and around the back of their necks, where Bravecto was applied. Would howl and cry for no reason I could see, would sleep for longer periods of time then usual would walk slowly with their heads down, would get lost outside. Started to lose their fur in clumps, black started to form around their mouth. After I took them to the vet the dr said she was noticing neurological symptoms in both of the cats. Test for mites and ringworm came back negative. Cleo died 2 days later, not a fly on her, I wonder why….
Gave my otherwise healthy 12 year old dog the “new” 3 month Bravecto dose about a month ago. He became lethargic about a week ago and has now had 2 seizures in the past 4 days. The vet gave no resolution beyond wait & see what happens. He’s never had a seizure before this medicine. It’s terrible.
Have my perfectly healthy dog
Bravecto and has had 3 terrible seizures.
Took back to vet and they gave her anti seizure meds until the dose wears off. Concerned about long term affects.