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
How can I get into this suit? I have read from several sources that dogs have had liver and kidney damage as a result of taking Bravecto also.
Pagan got his first dose of Bravecto on May 30, 2019. His second dose August 23, 2019. The second dose would have been good through November 23, 2019. I didn’t get him any more for the winter. Though the summer, off and on. he would have diarrhea. At the beginning of November he wasn’t wanting to eat his dry food, I was mixing dry, grain-free food with FreshPet, then it got to be hard to get him to eat his FreshPet. December 8th he started getting sick. I took him to the emergency vet on the 15th at Angel of Mercy. He was diagnosed with liver damage. The medications the vet gave him were not helping. I also tried natural remedies like Milk Thistle to detox his liver and Yarrow which is very good for digestive system problems. It saved my dog Harley when he had Pancreatitis. I gave him a high calorie, high nutritional supplement from PetCo and bought Ensure High Protein. He would occasionally eat solid food but not much. Nothing helped. December 25 when I woke up he was much worse and jaundiced. He couldn’t hold his head up or stand, his breathing had gotten even worse. I took him to Angel of Mercy emergency hospital to euthanize him. He died in my arms while we waited to see the doctor.
Gave both my babies 2 doses before I saw online that it had been killing and harming other dogs. My vet acted ignorant, but isn’t it their job to be more informed than us? More importantly, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to pull the product, or at least announce the possibility of harm from its product. I know several pet owners who would accept that risk, but some of us just love our pets a little more.
My son’s 6yr border collie had 2/3 seizures roughly every 3 months from the age of 1 (when he started on Bravecto). No one ever made the connection. He has been off Bravecto for 12 months and only 3 seizures in all that time. Vet says cannot give definitive diagnosis (Bravecto reaction). Bravecto contacted me – just fishing for details – no advice or support offered. My boy’s beautiful dog is damaged for life
My poor baby died in dec. I never had to use any products until i moved from nh to florida. I was told to use this product. 1 day later my baby was so very sick. He could not walk had no appetite. I had to administer water with an eye dropper for him. He grew a lump on his neck area. With in 2 weeks he passed away. We all miss him. His name was papa.
I was giving my dog Bravecto for a few years and she started to have seizures. I just stopped giving it to her in 2018 and the seizures are not as bad as they were and are starting to get few and far apart but she still has them. It’s a very scary and sad thing to watch your pet go through.
My vet recommended Bravecto to protect against fleas and ticks. Immediately after ingestion she was shaking and drooling. She vomited and had diarrhea. She had no appetite and was lethargic for months. Her eyebrows turned white and she seemed to age a lot. I am so grateful that she has recovered and is pretty much back to normal. The vet that prescribed this poison didn’t think that Bravecto was the cause but I know that it was! I thought she had reported the side effects to Merck, but when I asked her months later, she said she didn’t report it because my dog showed no symptoms. I am so furious with this vet so I fired her and got a new vet. My new vet does not pressure me to use this poison and respects my views on this terrible and deadly product!
My girl took one Bravecto in August 2019. Within a short period of time she began vomiting and had bloody diarrhea. We took her immediately to a vet. Thank God we started a detox program with her and after several months of blood tests, ultrasounds, B12 shots, prescription diets and meds she was one of the lucky ones. Today she is stable and healthy. But she isn’t the same. We still pray she will get her energy back. We couldn’t be more grateful for answered prayers that she is still with us. So many dogs don’t make it.
My dog seems ok, so far after 2 doses.BUT after reading this NO MORE.. Thanks for the info.
My beautiful 10-year-old German Shepherd, Saxon, was poisoned by Bravecto. I gave it to him at the end of September, 2019. (We had to switch flea meds because the one he’d always been on was no longer effective.) He was extremely lethargic for two days – did almost nothing but sleep. When he finally woke up, he had a limp in his back right leg that he’d never had before. It got worse and worse in that leg and in his back left leg – to the point where he can now barely walk; we will soon have to put him down. A new vet (I never took him back to the one who prescribed the Bravecto) thought he had degenerative myelopathy. However, several years ago, I had Saxon tested to see if he carried the DM gene, and the test came back negative. I have NO doubt that the Bravecto poisoned him. I am heartsick, because I was the one who gave it to him. I will never EVER forgive myself…
I want to know if I can get into this suit? My dog Pagan got his first dose of Bravecto on May 30, 2019. His second dose August 23, 2019. The second dose would have been good through November 23, 2019. I didn’t get him any more for the winter. Though the summer, off and on. he would have diarrhea. At the beginning of November he wasn’t wanting to eat his dry food, I was mixing dry, grain-free food with FreshPet, then it got to be hard to get him to eat his FreshPet. December 8th he started getting sick. I took him to the emergency vet on the 15th at Angel of Mercy. He was diagnosed with liver damage. The medications the vet gave him were not helping. I also tried natural remedies like Milk Thistle to detox his liver and Yarrow which is very good for digestive system problems. It saved my dog Harley when he had Pancreatitis. I gave him a high calorie, high nutritional supplement from PetCo and bought Ensure High Protein. He would occasionally eat solid food but not much. Nothing helped. December 25 when I woke up he was much worse and jaundiced. He couldn’t hold his head up or stand, his breathing had gotten even worse. I took him to Angel of Mercy emergency hospital to euthanize him. He died in my arms while we waited to see the doctor.