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
5 year old English Springer Spaniel who already had some behavior “issues” ( ie Springer Rage). Upon taking first dose of Bravecto, his aggression became uncontrollable and he attacked his male owner – biting owner in the face, chest, and leg. DO NOT use this product without fully understanding possible side effects for your pet. This product should have a GREAT BIG WARNING SIGN. Buyer, beware. Learn from our mistake. I took my vet’s recommendation with a grain of salt. NEVER again. Research, Research, Research. Owner has recovered but being attacked by your dog while you are asleep in your bed is pretty life altering. I am glad we finally made the connections before investing even more in the product and alternative solutions for Dog’s Aggression . My vet was aware of my dog’s aggression issues, it has been documented in his medical record since 1 year old. Hard to believer we didn’t EVEN DISCUSS these possible side effects. Please educate our trusted vets on this seriously mis-labeled UNSAFE product. It is MADDENING to see all these heartbreaking stories over the past few YEARS. WAKE UP Regulators and REMOVE THIS PRODUCT.
My Labrador is 14. We rescued her at age 5. She’s been on Bravecto since then. She started having seizures this past March, & has a brain tumor. A friend told me only today, the link of seizures to this drug. I’m wondering now, if my poor Molly’s brain tumor was caused by Bravecto. I WOULD LIKE to join this lawsuit!
Thanks.
My dog took this in April and the diarrhea started not long after , he lived 6 months until I had to say goodbye. It was an awful 6 months. He was very healthy never had an issue at all with him. Nothing ! At the end he couldn’t even eat :(
How can I join this lawsuit? I had to put my dog on cbd oil for seizures and feed him a special diet of home made dog food which are both expensive and time consuming. I don’t even trust the dog food companies any more. I blame Bravecto and Credelio both and I’d like to sue them both.
My dogs symptoms after taking Bravecto was diarrhea, lethargy and then after a year on it he started having seizures. I have stopped all oral flea control and I think the seizures will stop. They have gotten fewer. I am so angry because I trusted my veterinarian and they prescribed dangerous drugs to my dog. Cradelio is also very dangerous.
I want to join this class action suit. I lost a perfectly healthy Golden Retriever after his third dose of Brevecto. This was the only change in his life. He was fine when I got home from work and by 2 hours later he could not stand. He continued to worsen over the next 2 days and had to be euthanized.
Anybody know if there is representation in Canada for this?
I started giving my 7yr old 6lb chihuahua mix bravecto in May 2020 after the recommendation of the vet. I was nervous about it because I had heard of it causing seizures and because my dog was so small but the vet said the possibility of side effects were rare. My dog seemed to do well with it so I gave it to her every 3mths as recommended. Then this year on 6/22/21 I noticed her right eye was dialated and took her to the vet right away. They were unable to find a problem with her eye but said her blood pressure was high and that it was possible there was a blockage of the nerve to her eye such as a tumor. It was recommended I take her to an internal specialist which I did on 7/6/21 & 7/8/21 and she also saw an ophthalmologist & neurologist during this time. None of them were able to tell me for sure what was wrong (possible brain tumor, stroke or nerve inflammation) and said they could possibly know more with an MRI. During the next few days she also developed pain in the back of her head and neck and then her motor skills deteriorated quickly becoming lethargic, she began leaning to her left side while walking, tilting her head and each day her pain become more severe that she could barely get up & had no appetite. The vet had prescribed pain meds but they were useless at this point & didn’t do anything for her pain. She stopped eating and cried with the slightest movement. I then had to make the awful decision of letting her go on 7/17/21 without ever knowing what happened to her- 2 weeks after her 8th birthday. This was so very devastating to go through. No one else should have to go through the pain of giving something to your pet you were told has “rare” side effects that could have ultimately took your pet’s life. Her life was cut way too short and to have no clear answers is heartbreakingly painful
I had a 10 lb male Shih Tzu that was on Braveto and began to have seizures and then the blood levels started drop after several blood transfusions and the bouts of vomiting and diarrhea we lost the battle. I hate Braveto and I tell everyone I can how bad this neurotoxin is for your fur babies.
Please send me info.
We are living in South Africa. Can we join this class action?