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
my very pregnant dog yorkie was prescribed this 2 weeks from her due date. they sold me a 3 month supply. we gave it to her and the next day she started shaking and jerking. wanting me to rub her tummy I looked at the box not tested on pregnant or nursing dogs . I contacted the vet ooops we made a mistake my yorkie delivered a stillborn pup xmas morning looks about 2 weeks premature . same time as we gave her simparica chewable . she has one other pup that is we are told to watch for severe neurological problems. I took her in for an exray thought they had credited my account for there oopps mistake. got chewed out because I didnt have enough to pay for the xray . because they refuse to credit me for a drug they shouldnt have prescribed .
I lost my Yorkie Misha which she took Bravecto 1 1/2 days before having severe seizures. This is horrible and something needs to be done. Please let me know how I can be part of this class action suit. This needs to stop
Please add me to this class action lawsuit. My otherwise perfectly healthy 2 1/2 year old is suffering from seizures and the first time this happened was the same night she was given Bravecto.
I gave my dog Bravecto, it was causing seizures and loss of use of the left side of his body. I took him to get an MRI and the MRI showed brain tumor and fluid on the brain, I then contacted Dr Pluhar at the University of Minnesota, she reviewed the MRI and the fluid / tumor and she was able to add him in to her study of removing the brain tumor / and follow up treatments. She did another MRI prior to the surgery and the tumor was gone (this saved him form a brain surgery he did not need which kept them from digging in his brain looking for something that wasn’t there but the fluid was still on his brain, over the next few weeks it was treated and he slowly re-gained the use of legs. All of this documented with the 2 different doctors examining the MRI’s. I have copies of both MRI’s after and after. Dr Pluhar also has this info on file. 1 1/2 year later he still has a slight leg drag from the fluid on his brain. The Bravecto was prescribed from a local vet for ticks. I spoke to several class action lawsuit firms and they were mot willing to take on the case. Im happy you are, I know 10 other people that are very interested in being involved in this case and I have a LOT of documentation that you have or use. Im not interested in any money from, my interest is getting this poison off streets, the killing of dogs needs to stop. Vets need to be held accountable for their actions. I spoke Merck rep and they are aware of the issue, there words were “they didn’t care as long as the company was profitable” Please contact me I have a lot of relevant info and it would very beneficial in help you win. Brain Poett [email protected] or number is 812-589-3799 Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks Brian
Our beloved 5 year old cat was given Brevacto 11-7-20, he experienced vomiting, hostility, and on the day he died, 12-6-20, he came running to me when called, but sideways, tripping under his own feet, his tongue was sticking out, pale gums & tongue We rushed out the door on a Saturday, just after 2pm, to have no correspondence from his vet, just a recording to go to the nearest ER. No vets were open, no one to talk to or call us back. Our beloved Kinky died in my husbands arms twice< his once tiny meow was replaced with screams of pain and fear as we watched him die, helplessly before us. My husband and I have been left absolutely traumatized with grief. We had to store his dead body until we could have him cremated by a different vet the following Monday. When 6th st vet called Back Monday, it lacked empathy, they arrogantly asked, "What is it you want us to do for you" after cutting me off as I told of our horrific experience. I am horrified, I am Livid as Hell and Thirsty for revenge. Include me in this, I beg you.
If you stop giving this to your dog, do the negative symptoms improve?
look for detox there are some articles on detoxing x
I believe Bravecto killed my dog, and I only just put the puzzle together.. My dog was old so I just assumed that all of the symptoms were from old age. Right before my boyfriend and i moved, my dog began to have difficulty walking, I started taking him to the vet constantly to see what was wrong. The vet couldnt say.. then my dog began vomiting and having bad diarrhea.. I rushed him to the vet for them to tell me the same thing, they weren’t sure what was wrong.. I did blood tests and all! Shortly after our move it seemed to slow down and cease. Till a few weeks later when I came home and found my dog barely breathing and unresponsive. We rushed to the emergency clinic, but he died 4 minutes before we got there! I was completely devastated, and honestly hated my veterinarians for not helping me find a way to save him. Today, one of my students described how her younger dog was almost killed by Bravecto!!! Similar story to mine, only they took their dog to an emergency vet clinic where they were able to save her dog from the worst!! Needless to say, it breaks my heart finding out this many years later, and I hope justice is served on a cold hard platter!!
My cat also lost all the hair where I put the bravecto and there is an
Open sore. He is also not acting himself – lethargic and throwing up. And not like cat throw up – like a human. So much. And he is not himself at all. That was a week ago. He also is experiencing breathing issues. Please add me to the lawsuit.
No damage to my pets thank Gid but was not warned either by our Vet this pill was in any way dangerous
Our 10 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback female was placed on Bravecto and within 2 days began having seizures. She has been left with permanent visual deficits in both eyes. Wenever would have allowed her to take this medication if we knew any of this was a possibility!!