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
Our dog passed 3 days after being given Bravecto. We had no idea why she became sick and despite taking her to the veterinarian immediately and having her stay there with them throughout the day, they could not figure out why she was sick suddenly. Breaks my heart to think this could have been prevented.
My Jack Russel Lexi has severe reaction after given this exact same thing.. seizures, vomiting etc… we literally spent thousands of dollars trying to get her better.. she ended up passing! Most horrific situation!!
I started giving my dog Bravecto to help prevent fleas & ticks since we like to take hikes in the woods. Several weeks after administering them, she had a seizure. I wasn’t sure it was related. However, like clockwork, the next 3 times I gave her Bravecto, she had a seizure 2-3 weeks later. I have since stopped using Bravecto. Since stopping, she has had two small episodes, but far apart and not as severe.
I asked my vet if Bravecto was safe after it was recommended. She said we have never had a problem. My healthy 14 month old golden Retriever could not walk, eat, drink 2 weeks after ingesting this poison. She had kidney failure and we could not watch her suffer anymore. This is poison and how many more have to die a painful senseless death?
4 days after the second dose, my dog had a grand mal seizure. He has since been diagnosed with epilepsy and will need daily meds for the rest of his life. Still, I consider myself to be fortunate because I still have him by my side.
Hello, we gave bravecto to our 10 year old chocolate lab in April 2019. She went downhill and ended up very sick. Everyday she got weaker and weaker till she was totally limp.
She died 7 days later. Will not give it to any other dog ever.
My dog died 24 hours after ingesting brevecto. The vet recommended this medication and with in 4 hours my dog was vomiting like crazy.. with in 8 hours my dog was not able to walk… his hind legs couldn’t hold him up.. when we complained about the side effects we were told he was probably weak from vomiting and to push more fluids.. by 515 that night I called the vet who was closed. We were told to wait until 7am and make an appointment. By 3 am he was paralyzed crawling into my room breathing hard… we held him tight by 6am 22 hours after the first pill he passed in our arms.. he was 14 years old and the day he was prescribed brevecto the vet said he was in phenomenal shape for his age and extremely healthy… after calling the manufacturer and the vet I was sent a “I’m sorry letter” I was told he’s one in a million but through further research I found I’m one of a million with a pet who suffered neurological emotional and even death. My vet said he would have never recommended this medication if he knew the outcome. My family suffered tremendously watching him suffer with no answers or help. The company’s written answer was “it was an allergic reaction “. This company killed my baby
We used this. After a third dose our dog suddenly became very ill with organs shutting down. We were able
to pull her through but she is on multiple medication and insulin. She is blind. She was active and playful before bravecto. I called the company. They were adamant that the medicine was not the cause.
Our Collie had an adverse reaction and it severely compromised her liver function down to 25%. The vet contacted the manufacturer who sent a $500 payment to the vet towards the dog’s treatment but would not admit the drug caused the issues.
My dog Shadow had normal liver function. They thought she may have has a tick bite and suggested a different flea/tick treatment – bravecto. She went into liver failure and stopped eating within a week of the medication. She also was found to have developed cancer and passed away wirhin weeks of the medication.
My dog severely deteriorated after taking Bravecto. She immediately brgan to vomit and became lethargic. A few days later she recouped, but was never the same. Her immune system decreased and her hind legs gave out on her. She began to per in herself and eventually had to put her down as she was suffering too much! Bravecto is pure evil!