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 believe Bravecto has caused the neurological deficient on the right side of my Cavalier King Charles face. I only gave him one dose. This was the first time. Over the next couple of days Reece had massive diarrhea and two weeks later he developed paralysis on the right side of his. Prior to this Reece was a perfectly healthy 10 year old. In fact, the vet told me back in October that Reece was one of the healthiest 10 year old dogs he had ever seen. Reece is an emotional support dog for me because I suffer from PTSD, anxiety and depression. I’m so devastated by what is going on with him now.
I would also like to be added to this class action lawsuit, as my little dog died a couple months after taking bravecto. She was in excellent health and active until bravecto. I really hope they take this off the market. I didn’t know to report it in time.
I think Bravecto killed my american bully male dog just two months from his second birthday. When i rescued him from humane society they had him on the three month dose of bravecto then i took him home and a month later it ran out so went to a vet who prescribed it again . thats when we started to notice throwing up ever so often weird diareah poop quite often , lethargy and legions coming out on his skin!!!!! then finally at our vet , a new one we took him to said oh no it wouldnt be Bravecto causing all of this!!!!! so they put him on it again , and now hes gone !!!!!!!!!! We are devastated , he quit eating , started having muscle spasms, not passing stool, very lethargic, gurgling when breathing!!!!!!!! We spent over 3000 dollars on that dog in the 11 months that we were so privelidged to get to know him and love him!! They put him down three weeks ago!! Dont ever give to any of your pets!
I also saw my puppy experience seizures and total confusion from bravecto
Two of our cats experienced serious side effects from one does of Bravecto. In addition to the lethargy, breathing issues, vomiting, etc. Both experienced anxiety, paranoia, disorientation, vision problems. One of our cats still has vision problems 6 months after receiving one dose of Bravecto; and a tumor is growing in her right front armpit area.
This is an extremely toxic product that needs to be removed from the market. Please add us to the class action lawsuit.
My Persian cat is 10 years old he is an indoor cat and had not had any problems. I took him to get groomed at the vet’s office and they said he had a flea on him and they put Brave to topical on him. Ever since he has been acting strange he seems confused about where he is and he will be walking and just go into a stupor for several minutes. I’ve taken him back to the vet they haven’t found anything.
I have given my dog Bravecto, in the past. She now has severe skin problems and obsessively licks at her paws. She also has severe stomach problems. I gave it to her as a puppy and she didn’t have any of these problems b4. Please add me to class action. It is important to get this stuff, off the market,asap.
How can I be added? My cat suffered severe side effects after taking this medication one week ago. Sores, hair loss, very lethargic. This a a horrid chemical and should not be prescribed by vets!
I used it and my cat has lost all the hair in the area I applied Bravecto. I’ve never see this before with any other flea meds. Had I known this was a defective product, I would have never allowed it on my cat who just had most of his left ear amputated. Now he has to deal with this too! I’m outraged. That surgery just cost me 2,000! And he has to deal with a defective flea medicine! Why didn’t my vet warn me of this???
We used Bravecto on our dog and he had intermittent seizures, increasing ataxia, and then one night he had too many seizures to count. We took him to the vet hospital hoping they could help him, but they could not get the seizures to stop. He suffered so much damage to his brain that he could not walk anymore–it was like he had a severe stroke. We had to have him put down. It was tragic.
Add me to lawsuit
Less than 12 hours after giving bravecto my normal cat was rushed to the ER vet. $1600 later tests negative for lukemia and other standard issues. My cat is blind. Suffered neurologically and I purchased this product in good faith that it was a healthy solution.