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.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
ยฉ2008 โ 2024 Top Class Actionsยฎ LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
1,807 thoughts onBravecto Class Action Says Meds Arenโt Safe For Pets
My dog had his annual check up. Everything went fine but we decided to change to Bravecto at that appointment. Within a week he died. I will never forgive myself for that fatal mistake. His symptoms began about 2 days after taking it and he got progressively worse very quickly and died within a week. I contacted the manufacturer and never received a reply of even condolences. Attempts to contact them have resulted in no response. It has been almost two years now and nothing can bring back the time I lost with my pup.
I am a small breeder of goldens and labs. Two of the puppies we sold (unrelated) died of โpoisoning leading to liver failureโ after being given Bravecto. I know of almost a dozen more cases like mine through my customers buying because their last dog died after taking Bravecto. Itโs deadly.
Our precious Zigi passed in late Jan 202. As anticipated, our entire family has been mourning our loss and healing appropriately. There are two issues to report:
Firstly, Zigi had a toxic reaction to Bravecto approximately 2 years ago. The adverse reaction occurred with his third dose, which was given per the manufacturerโs prescribed schedule at three month intervals. The adverse reaction consisted of a minor seizure with motor instability, stumbling, extreme salivating, excessive panting from the abdominal cramping, nausea / vomiting, and uncontrolled diarrhea of a soft โice creamโ (pale brown) consistently.
Zigi was examined by a local Vet, (as we were visiting grandkids away from home) , and treated with metronidazole and probiotics. He eventually recovered from the severe gastro-intestinal insults over the ensuing 2-3 weeks. Unfortunately, he then developed overt personality changes which became exaggerated over time. He also developed marked physiologic changes.
Personality changes included irritability, โsnappinessโ, extreme irritability, somnolence, difficulty ascending / descending stairs and overall diminution of his gregarious interactive personality. Physiologically, he became a voracious water drinker, with an insatiable thirst. As a result, he urinated very frequently, requiring access to the outside back yard, โฆ once or twice in the middle of the night.
When we returned home, Zigiโs veterinarian refused to accept my theory regarding the causal association between Bravecto and Zigiโs toxic reactions. She also stated that she had never seen ( nor read about ) any clinical correlation between Bravecto and any neurologic or other clinically adverse reactions.
I had explained that essentially, Zigiโs serum levels failed to reach โzeroโ at the end of each three month time segment before the next dose was administered. Thus there was a gradual but insidious increase in the serum levels of the isoxazolene after repetitive doses and those levels then exceeded an unrecognized threshold and precipitated his โtoxicโ reactions. The vet simply said: โwell, you know more about the pharmacology than I doโโฆ.!!!!
I was quite disturbed with her retort! With the plethora of clinical toxicities documented on your FB page, (and also documented in the European literature), I was amazed that she was unaware of reports in her professional literature, where this issue should have been disclosed !
The second issue to report concerns his demise. We believe that he developed a colonic malignancy with intestinal obstruction, severe N / V, peritonitis and pancreatitis. He passed quickly and peacefully.
His demise was apparently not related to the Bravecto, but we believe his personality changes, and alterations in his basic physiology parameters over the last two years, were both a direct consequence secondary to an adverse reaction to Bravecto.
Respectfully and sadly submitted: Alan M. Fisher MD
My 11.4 pound Chihuahua/pug received Bravecto for the first time on 8/28/19 and died of complications of this poison on 11/1/19. I have pictures to show how fast she deteriorated in those two months. In the end, she died of a heart attack and also from sepsis due to 40% of her skin being dead and exposed where she lost her fur. She suffered tremendously while trying all means to save her. I filed a complaint with the FDA and also reported our vet to the NYS Board of Ethics for misconduct regarding her treatment.
Michelle, my sweet dachshund Gus died from the same cause when he lost so much hair. We spent 3 months and thousands of dollars trying to save him, but it only caused more suffering. We refused to take Merckโs partial settlement and sign the waiver. I want to join this class action suit!
So very sorry Juli! All we can do is get the word out there. I wish I knew about it before I gave it to her. This has to end. They need to pay!
I should add that her symptoms included: vomiting, lethargy, trembling, lack of appetite, overly thirsty, legs giving out, weakness, loss of fur, open oozing wounds, rapid weight loss.
My one year old, healthy, vibrant, full of life, American Bully, Tank passed away last night. I believe the complications he had were from Bravecto. He just turned a year old on February 14th, Valentineโs Day. Almost exactly one month after his first dose of Bravecto. January 11th we gave it to him. Two weeks later he was lethargic, hair falling out, not himself. One week later he stopped eating and was peeing everywhere and was flu-like. We took him to the vet Wednesday, did blood work, kidneys failing, did exploratory surgery Thursday, tried everything to figure out what toxin was causing his kidneys to be affected, he never would eat or drink, and never recovered. My baby died last night and there was nothing I could do to help him. Please include us in the class action, I want someone held responsible for this. My children, husband, and I are suffering, and my sweet baby suffered the most. My only peace is that he is no longer in pain.
My heart is broken my dog is my kid now i know why he was the way he was
My GSD was on Bravecto & is now suffering with Degenerative Myelopathy, a neurological condition which is not treatable or curable. I canโt help thinking it could be associated with Bravecto. Would never use it again.
I am certain that I lost a dog to Bravecto 11 years ago, before we knew of the evils of these drugs. Proof? I have none. Certainty? Absolutely.
Bravecto was approved for use in 2014, only on the market for just shy of 6 years.
I have lost a dog to bravecto. She received the bravecto on 8-8-15 and died in October of โ15 after a horrible reaction to it. I have details of everything and how it also affected other dogs I own.
I have used Bravecto for the past 2 years. I had no idea of its safety issues. I have lost a dog that very well couldโve been from this medication.
I also have two dogs that now fight if allowed to be together; they once loved each other and now they hate each other.
My dogs will shake during their sleep, such as convulsions. I had no idea why they did this, so could also possibly be related. They also seem to have more difficulty with steps and moving after being stationary for an extended period of time.
Furthermore, I have family who have lost some animals that Iโm concerned could have been around the same time as their Bravecto treatment.
My puppy was given bravecto for the first time on Dec 30, 2019 and she regurgitated food and blood exactly 24 hours later. Her health has been steadily declining ever since that day. A vet specialist has now informed me that my puppy has โsuddenlyโ developed a severe case of megaesophagus, and it is progressing fast and her prognosis is poor. My dog just turned ONE. This condition is extremely rare in her breed, as well as her age group and I donโt believe its a โcoincidenceโ that this issue started right after she took Bravecto. Especially since the vet says its related to a neurological problem. I am praying my pup can survive the 3-month duration of this โmedicineโ and start to get better. My previous Vet never gave me any warnings about the side effects or controversial history of this medicine. So upsetting.
How can I get in on this suit? I want to hurt them where it counts for them.
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 didnโt get him any more for the winter. Though the summer, off and on. he would have diarrhea. At the beginning of November he wasnโt 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 couldnโt 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.