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
yes please add me. After giving it to my german shepard it cost me $3000 to save her life
I had been giving my dog bravecto for a couple of years then all of the sudden she would vomit all night after taking it so we switched her to nexgard but wonder if it has caused some of the things wrong with her โน๏ธ
STOP GIVING ANY ANIMAL POISON TO EAT!!!!! You shouldโve learnt from Bravecto!!!!
What is wrong with you? You switch from one poison to another poison that has also seen dogs DIE after being given the chewable tablet!! Nexgard is as dangerous as Bravecto is!! Stop trying to kill your dog FFS!
Add me please..I have uses bravecto on my dog for 2 years and now he hasnpaased away
Please add us. We have 2 dead dogs and an ep5dog now
I have used Bravecto on my dog for 10 years. He does act sick after her first takes the pill. After a few days he seems ok. No more for him!
Add me to the list!
Bravecto was only released in 2014โฆ.. so only been on the market for not quite 6 years
Please add me
Iโve bought this for our dogs and my mothers. Our fur baby has since passed but she became very ill over a period of couple months sick w/ vomiting and shakes lost her hearing . My motherโs dog started having seizures and sometimes he will just drop and completely lethargic . But weโve bought this medication for a couple years.
I try to avoid flea meds after a horrible reaction to Comfortis- which is 200x stronger than insecticides used to spray crops-!!!-but thanks to neighbors, my yard became infested so I used this โmedโbut got it from the feed store,I believe. My dog was about 7 & became weak & lethargic after the second dose. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure & I had him put down. It was the drug. He was great and energetic prior.
I used Bravecto for several years on my multiple (13) dogs. I did not have a problem, but stopped using it last year because of reports of dangerous effects that I had heard of. I still have a closet full of it unopened. Money wasted, but I was not going to put them at risk.
Add me to the list.
I have been using bravecto for my 2 dogs and 2 cats for a year now!
I have given my dogs bravecto. One dog died in Oct, but not from bravecto as far as i know. My older dog recently took bravecto. I dont need a pill (chewable) that makes my dog sick.
I gave my dog bravecto, recommend by my vet. Noticed he was having stomach issues, was very lethargic, never wanted to go outside, barely ate or drank. Tried new food and vet visits but due to fact he was a rescue It was possible he was adjusting to his new life. After about two full months I noticed he was eating better, less stomach issues, and seemed to have much more energy. Then the three month mark came to give him his new dose of bravecto. Gave it to him and all of his prior symptoms came back. I looked up the product and saw all the issues with it and realized this was the problem. I have never given it back to him and he has been a completely different dog. I am thankful he was not one of the dogs that passed away due to this. Add me to the list