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 gave my 6 yr old Estrela bitch a chewable flea & tick treatment called Bravecto for the first time in Dec 2019. she was perfectly healthy but within 48 hours she became very sick and was unable to walk normally like she was drunk? Her face was all twisted and contorted from what I now know was a type of neurological stroke which caused paralysis in the face. The vet X-rayed her head because it looked like her jaw had become dislocated but the pictures showed the bone structure was all normal and the problem was muscular paralysis around her face. The vet prescribed a course of steroid tablets called Prednisone which I had to liquidise with her food and use a large syringe & tube for several weeks to get the food down. A month on, and now she is able to eat on her own but the paralysis remains her face is heavily skewed to the left (due to the muscles on the right side of her jaw being dead) and her right eye points in all directions I am not sure if she is blind that side. I am certain it was the Bravecto that caused this issue she was perfectly healthy before.
My 6 year old cocker spaniel Benjamin started Bravecto and within 8 months he was dead Never again will I use tablets only flea collars.Bravecto should be taken off the market .It kills dogs It killed my best friend It is poison and it kills innocent creatures
Add me please
I am a Golden Retriever Breeder In La Porte, Texas. In approx. 2018 I gave one of our females her dose of Bravecto when we brought her into the kennel to prepare her to deliver her new litter. Within weeks after her delivery she displayed signs of a neurological problem. Our vet suggested we continue to watch her to see if she improved. After several more weeks of her declining health we took her in to a neurologist for exam and to determine what was wrong. By this time she could not walk on her own nor stand without assistance. The prognosis was very bleak, she would never be the same, she could never be bred again and there was no guarantee that even after $$$$$& in tests to determine the source, that they could even treat her, I had to make the hardest decision of my life, to let her go. I delivered her when she was born and I had to be the one to let her go at the age of 4 yrs. This is /was the 1st instance of any problems from giving our Goldens Bravecto and we’ve not given it to any since, only because I’ve procrastinated in ordering more. This now infuriates me that this could have been avoided had I known of the possible danger.
I switched from trifexis because I was worried about my 3 dogs safety and switched to Bravecto, now to find out it’s not safe either!!!
Both my pitbulls have been treated with Bravecto at a ridiculous price… Only to now find out that I’ve gambled with both their lives!! ?
I’m less impressed as my dogs are pedigree and worth a lot, never mind our close bond.
How can a brand be so negligent as to not communicate risks associated with meds?! ?
Our one German Shepherd nearly went into cardiac arrest just half an hour after his first treatment when he was a puppy… I held him and could literally see his heart beating out of his chest, super, super fast while he was gasping for air and kicking his legs… the older German Shepherd started vomiting and over the next few days they both had big bald patches on their skin as their hair fell out… and they both had a terrible rash and couldn’t stop scratching… couldn’t get them to eat for days… take the product off the market! They didn’t believe us at the Vet, told us it was safe…?
My vet recommended Bravecto for my female rough collie. Within a few days of the first pill, she became progressively ataxic, to the point where she could not walk, stopped eating, could not hold her tongue properly in her mouth. She lost 1/5 of her body weight and had to be fed by syringe for almost a full month. Once the drug was flushed out of her system, she began a long and slow recovery. Xrays showed her liver had been significantly damaged at the time.
The vet sold this as a brilliant new product, and there was a posted offering a chance to win an iPad to purchasers of the product.
My vet recommended Bravecto & was never earned of any side affects. I am seriously rethinking giving my dog the next dose
My dog is on Bravecto and I have never been warned of potential side effects of it.
I have used Bravecto for my Chihuahua for guide a while and for a few days after every time I give it to her she poops this strange gelatinous looking stool for a while and doesn’t eat well afterwards. She also acts lethargic and sick for a few days after each treatment. She has skin issues & problems with topical flee & tick treatments so I felt I had no other choice but to give her Bravecto. Now I am rethinking my poor decision.