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 Jakeโs possible adverse reaction to taking the drug. The company allegedly denied that that Jakeโs 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 wasnโt sure if Jakeโs symptoms would be long-term and was still not sure if her dogโs symptoms were caused by the drug.
After more tests and a trip to a neurologist, the plaintiffโs veterinarian allegedly told her that he โpresumedโ that Jakeโs diagnosis of meningitis was a result of โBravecto toxicity,โ 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 โtens of thousands of dollarsโ 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.ย ย
โBecause 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,โ 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 โhighlight neurological events because these events were seen consistently across the isoxazoline class of productsโ and โto provide veterinarians and pet owners with the information they need to make treatment decisions for each pet on an individual basis,โ 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.
โEvery 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 Defendantโs unreasonably dangerous and defective product,โ 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 Arenโt Safe For Pets
Our dog Zak started with seizures in 2017 after his third dose of Bravecto. Of course the vet told us it was nothing to do with Bravecto and he was epileptic. However after researching we were convinced it was the cause. We detoxed him and treated his seizures with CBD oil and he has not had a seizure since January 2018. Had we been told of the possible dangers we would never have given him the pesticide poison.
We lost our cocker at 9 years old, 4 months after taking Bravecto when she developed a mast cell tumour that grew massive and quick
My dog has seizures. They started the day i gave him flea and tick medicine
New Zealand: 18 month old cocker spaniel bitch, after taking 1 Bravecto was lethargic, vomiting, diarrhea (re-occuring), loss of appetite, uncontrollable head shakes, compromised liver and major seizures. 2nd spaniel bitch (1 year old) lethargic, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite but has since recovered.
We have used Bravecto many times with our pets unknowingly as no warning labels or reaction effects are mentioned anywhere in the literature outside the box or in the insert. Had we known we would absolutely not have given them this product.
I had a 13 year old golden. I started giving her Bravacto when went camping in a tick area at age 13 never had it before.
She started getting a lump on her back. I started putting it together as we only went in the summer. 2nd dose it seemed things o grow more rapidly. The next summer I have to her again and it started growing more again so I stopped as it looked related. It ended up being spindle cell cancer.
I used Bravecto one time on my Boston Terrier and it resulted in seizures, major hair loss, elevated liver enzymes, lethargy and excessive thirst. It took six months and lots of money to heal him. The vetโs office would not acknowledge or return my calls and when I went to a new vet they denied it was from Bravecto to Merck. Merck treated me very rudely and denied any responsibility.
Gave oral Bravecto to my 2 beagles in June of 2019. Vet said it was perfectly safe.
Within hours they both had SEVERE diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy. I called the vet, he said it wasnโt the Bravecto, but the diarrhea should be gone in 24 hours. Peanut seemed to recover fairly well, but Lucky still had diarrhea SIX days later. I took him to the vet and pretty much insisted the Bravecto was the problemโฆthe dogs were both fine until they took that pill. Lucky now had fever. Vet called Merck, they agreed to pay for my for the visit and the lab tests.
Vet examined him and said it was his prostate that was making him sick. I donโt buy it.
He was given antidiarrheal and nausea medsโฆalong with antibiotics. It took him a bitโฆ.but he did recover.
No neurologic side effects, but they do both still have recurring belly aches fairly often.
Iโll never give oral flea & tick meds to them again.
I have 3 dogs. Theyโve only taken bravecto a few times. Now one has cancer and 2 have heart issues
My 7-year-old dog was on Bravecto for less than a year. She went from her usual rambunctious self to no energy. When she went in for a routine dental cleaning they discovered a heart murmur that was not there before Bravecto. She also started experiencing regular pain after her third dose. After multiple vet visits and a change of veterinary providers, we heard the words โmassโ and โtumorโ in her neck. She has been on a rigorous steroid regime for two weeks now. She has shown some improvement, but only time will tell. I will never give any pet I have this poison again. Or any like it. Consider me another claimant, please.