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 5 year old cat was given a Bravecto liquid treatment for fleas and within 1 day he was vomiting and had diarrhea. He was also lethargic and wouldn’t eat. I took him back to the vet for treatment. They did blood work to check his organs and prescribed medication to help with his appetite. He started to slightly eat but the diarrhea and lethargic continued. I took him back to the vet and was prescribed an diarrhea medicine. Luckily the vet’s office didn’t charge for the return office visits but the prescriptions were expensive and I stayed home from work to take him to the vet and make sure that he was going to be ok. It was over two weeks before he started to eat regular, but still has occasional vomiting and not as active.
Confirmed, August 12th 2024. Bravecto has caused my dog to go totally blind. Opthamologist confirmed this. Diagnosed as SARDS and Bravecto pushed it to total blindness. These meds are causing blindness in dogs, she is seeing an uptick in the number of cases on a weekly basis. This is not acceptable that these companies are able to make money off hurting our babies and disabling them for life.
Buenas tardes, soy Ingrid de Tenerife, Islas Canarias (España) y voy a contar lo que le pasó a mi perra Lana con Bravecto, para que tengan cuidado con dárselo a sus mascotas. Cuando Lana tenía 12 años le di Bravecto por primera vez tras la recomendación de su veterinaria y al mes siguiente sufrió síndrome vestibular (vómitos, pérdida de equilibrio, movimiento de ojos y cabeza, debilidad muscular).La veterinaria me dijo que era debido a su avanzada edad, pero al volver a darle Bravecto le pasó lo mismo después de unos días se puso muy malita otra vez, así que decidí no dárselo más y no le ha vuelto a pasar, pero se quedó con dificultades al caminar, poco equilibrio y cabeza ladeada, mi perrita tiene ya 15 años. Por favor no den Bravecto a sus perros, es muy peligroso, si yo lo hubiera sabido no se lo hubiera dado jamás.
My two and a half yr old Bernese Mountain dog started itching profusely after every time I gave him the 3 mos oral Bravecto tablet. He has lost also weight . I have spent several thousand dollars in vet bills.. He’s been checked/ treated for all other possible causes. II got a second opinion , that vet tried allergy shot , That had no effect at all. I am certain it is from Bravecto as it comes on so intently after giving the tablet , gets better at the end of the three months tablet covers. I figured it out and will never subject my dog to such intense suffering. I am not the only person who has experienced their dog having unexplained allergic reaction to this medicine.
My Bella Bear 8 month old Maremma died 8/11/24 four days following taking Bravecto.
I believe that Bravecto May have caused blindness in my 9 year old dachshund within one month after his dosage, treatment. We are in the process of a neurological appointment and and optomologist appointment for his loss of vision issues. Much money was spent already trying to diagnose his change in behavior within one month after administration of bravecto.
My 5 year Yellow lab was in perfect health prior to eating Bravecto chews.,she is still fighting the neurological side effects of this drug. Thousands of dollars spent trying to help her the documents report these conditions are rare! These conditions are not rare when I hear tons of stories. Our lives are being devastated by this poison. I want Justice from this company to take responsibility.
1 dose of Bravecto for my 8 y o whippet. 2 violent seizures.
Had to put a puppy down because of this chewable pill , within 10 minutes of him eating it , the trimmers started and got alot worse over the next month. Had to put him down