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
Not being devilโs advocate but I can only but testify of good results using Bravecto. I stay on a plot surrounded by uninhabited land thus my animals are regularly infected with diverse pests and insects. I have tried various remedies but NOTHING has been as effective as Bravecto getting rid of ticks and fleas as well as boosting their skin condition and it lasts for long periods of time. At most I need to medicate them twice a year but on average giving my animals Bravecto once a year seems to keep them tick and flea free.
My dog was given Nexgard December 2018, another chemical in the isoxazoline class like Bravecto. Our vet had not told us about the FDA warning. In the first 24 hours she developed ataxia with her legs sliding out from under her, trouble swallowing and tremors. in the subsequent weeks she had numerous focal seizures. I brought her to the vet who agreed Nexgard was a likely cause and she should never have it again. My dog continued to decline and in March she began having grand mal cluster seizures all night and she was hospitalized under neurology care for the first week of March, 2019. After that we struggled to balance her numerous drugs and her seizures, and her worsening ataxia and loss of motor ability. She saw the neurologist almost weekly. When she lost her ability to walk we had to euthanize her, which broke my heart beyond repair. . I wish you success in your class action against Bravecto. It is my belief that all of the isoxazoline products for dogs and cats products should be taken off the market.
My dog had similar problems with Nexgard. Is there a class action suit for Nexgard that you know off?
Please I need help I gave my dog the meds today for the first time could hardly breath shaking acting like sheโs lethargic. How do I get this out of her system? The vet said he read the side effects and my side effects wasnโt there but I found out yes they are thereโฆ. I feel lost like nobody is helping me!!!
Gave a dog we rescued, owner had to go into a facility, Brevecto at the recommendation of vet. Weโd had her 3-4 months and had gotten her into pretty good shape. The next day she had multiple seizures. After rushing her to ER vet, we thought she was going to pull through. The next day, I let her out to potty. She took about 10 steps and went down. Died in my arms in about 30 seconds. We notified Brevecto, filed a complaint, and were told theyโd report it to FDA. They didnโt offer any help with the vet bills.
Hi, I have given it to both my dogs not knowing about the side effects. I have dosed them 3 times. I feel horrible now that I have this information.
I had read the possible problems that with Bravecto and my vet prescribed it, I discussed my fears with my vet. She said they werenโt having any issues with it. Now two years later After continuous use, I gave my dog Bravecto this morning and sheโs been vomiting all day.
My dog has taken bravecto. She did have period of time where she had a leg tremor that would last for hours and was very frustrating for her. It wasnโt immediately after taking the pill but now Iโm wondering if itโs somehow related โฆ
Please add me. My dog has been taking it for 2 years
I just recently started using Bravecto instead of trifexis and was never told by the Vet of possible risks to my fur baby
I think Brevecto is what caused my Dogs Vestibular attacks.