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’ve had dogs my whole life. I’m 59. All of our dogs were medium to large breeds with weight ranging from 40-120 lbs.
I’ve had a Dalmatian, 2 German Shepards, Cocker Spaniels, mutts, Catahoula Leopardand 3 labs.
The dogs who were placed on Bravecto after it became available, did not live passed the age of 9-10. All died from abdominal tumors and had difficulties with liver enzymes always being elevated. Vomiting was a frequent event weekly of bilious/biliary stomach acid. I won’t get in to what we were told “could be” the issue but we believed our vets guess-work and spent thousands on special foods.
Now, on an interesting note:
The dogs of medium to large breed that I’ve had prior to ever using Bravecto, lived to be 14-16 yrs old and had healthy digestive systems.
I will let the readers do the math.
My Cavalier began seizure symptoms after being given this medication and continues to have ongoing health issues and now neurological ones. Is this still an active lawsuit?
My dog is loosing the muscle movement in her back legs and is limping, she was absolutely fine until taking BRAVECTO. I took her to the vet and they did not know what was causing it. They told me well maybe she is running too much or has arthritis. She had barely turned 5. They told me to limit her movement and put her on an anti inflammatory and gave her Rejensa for joints. Never even mentioned it could be related to BRAVECTO and I didn’t even think to correlate them together. Now, I do!! My dog was finally improving and I recently gave her the 2nd dose they gave me and within hours she is limping and having trouble walking!!!! This needs to be taken off the market!!!!
Bravecto gave my dog terrible seizures and vomiting. Caveat emptor! This drug is so DANGEROUS.
My Siberian , just DIED, 2nite, after been taken BRAVECTO 4 about 2 years & all of a sudden he started 2 have all the symptoms & he passed 2nite March 19th , 2022. I hope he RIP, we LOVED HIM?
LOV U KIMBO ??
March 21, 2022
My beautiful cocker Fitz died in Feb 2019, 7 mo after starting Bravecto oral flea medicine. After 5 mo he developed seizures, sores that wouldn’t heal, weakness in hind legs, nausea/vomiting. My vet denied that Bravecto was the cause of these symptoms. But 2 months later he developed ascites, large amount of fluid in abdomen, from liver failure. He was short of breath and struggled to breathe for 2 days before he died. It was a horrible cruel way to die. And still my vet did not blame Bravecto. She’s not our vet anymore. And I will never use a pesticide w my pets again.
I purchased Bravecto Flea and tick for my dog and this year when I went for his heartworm check my vet told me that my dog now has Lyme’s Disease. Merck told me that they can’t help due to breaks in does. I live in Michigan and we start treating for fleas and tick in May . I got my Bravecto in April and then again in August. Apparently because I bought it in April it wasn’t given in the proper dose since I started it in May like the vet said. This seems to be their technicality that this Merck company has given me. Apparently they care so much for animals that is why we are here telling our stories about their medical bull ?!
My perfectly healthy 15 pound mini poodle took a Barevco pill in early December 2021. She soon began seizing, followed by a fast neurological down slide and continued seizures. by December 21 2021 she was dead. Myself, my, husband our vet and his team all know this pill killed her. This must be stopped and we are willing to help it happen.
I gave my 8 year old lab Bravecto on January 10th, 2022. He has a seizure January 17th. I had to put him to sleep yesterday, March 3rd, 2022. At first they thought he had Pancreatitis and kept him overnight at the pet hospital. Then he developed a large amount of fluid in his abdomen. The vet said it looked like cancer after the abdominal ultrasound. He was in an enormous amount of pain.
I am never ever giving a dog an ingestable insecticide again.
I previously reported that my daughter’s dog died from seizures after taking the Bravecto ingested flea medication. I wanted to add that an autopsy was done and it was found that he had a meningioma tumor at the frontal lobe of his brain involving the meninges and the olfactory bulb. I find it interesting that the person who filed this class action lawsuit stated he dog was diagnosed with meningitis after taking it. I feel that this medication caused his tumor. And I have read about dogs developing tumors and blood cancers after taking Bravecto. Yet they continue to claim it doesn’t cause cancer. I would like to see the research showing how many dogs have developed tumors or cancer after taking this medication.
I gave my Dashaund Bravecto & he has had seizures ever since. He is on daily medication (K brovet) & still has a seizure every now & then. It hurts me so much because I did this to him by give him that medication.