Bravecto - Cause for Concern?
Back in 2015 a widely-shared Facebook post claimed that Bravecto chewable flea and tick remedy is fatal to dogs. A family who had adopted a dog from Pet Helpers asserted that the dog had died as a result of being given Bravecto chewables and that another of their dogs had also nearly died.
However, studies at the time suggested that Bravecto was safe. But that's not the end of the story. Following thousands of adverse reaction reports, Bravecto remains a potential cause for concern.
Let's start at the beginning.
As the warning spread on social media during 2015, it was picked up by the website Snopes, who attempt to confirm or quash various 'rumours'.
Investigating the claim, Snopes quoted a 2014 study published in the Parasites & Vectors journal where 32 beagles were treated with Bravecto (fluralaner) and no serious adverse side effects were attributed to the medication.
The full study can be found here.
Snopes also cited the "Freedom of Information Summary" 15th May 2014.
Finally, there was a post by Wilson Street Veterinary. Dr. Michael Mogavero stated that the drug had been extensively tested prior to its release and had proved safe for dogs - click here.
Snopes concluded that the Bravecto rumours were 'unproven'.
"The family of the depicted dog asserted that one of their pets had died within a day of being given Bravecto chewables and that another of their dogs had nearly died after being given the same treatment at the same time. The update also asserted that Bravecto chewables were responsible for the dog's death and that several other dogs had died of liver and kidney failure shortly after taking the same medication. (No information was provided showing or explaining a causal link between the dead dog and Bravecto chewables other than a post hoc ergo propter hoc assumption.)"
So who do we believe?
Of course, that Snopes article is dated now. Let's bear in mind that you can only write about what is known at that time. I can't help but wonder what their update might look like now, if they were to do one? Was that original anecdotal report by a dog owner only creating mass hysteria or worthy of proper consideration? If it was your dog and you strongly believed that a certain drug had harmed or even killed them, what would or should you do?
The evidence at that time seemed to suggest that Bravecto is safe. But that's not to say that, as with any drug, some dogs won't have a reaction. Also, with adverse reactions being reported, could real experiences from dog owners change this opinion?
The important thing to take from this is to always report any adverse reactions that you believe may be related to a drug taken by your dog. So let's take look at the ADE reports and then talk about how to report possible adverse reactions to drugs and medications.
The ADE database
The Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) maintains the CVM ADE database to monitor drugs after they have been approved. Any adverse effects not detected during pre-market testing can come to light. It is an official channel which can impact whether a drug stays on the market or not.
CVM's ADE reporting system depends on voluntary reporting of adverse clinical events by veterinarians and animal owners.
In November 2014 Elizabeth Carney, DVM investigated what, at the time, were two new FDA-approved products on the market that year for dogs - Nexgard (made by Merial) and Bravecto (made by Merck). To obtain more information about the safety of these two new drugs, Dr Carney submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the ADE reports.
November 2015 and the first set of reports were finally received. "Both reports contain information for the time period 1/1/2013 – 06/17/2015. For this time period, there were a total of 5,087 ADE reports received for afoxolaner (Nexgard) for dogs, and a total of 2,467 ADE reports received for fluralaner (Bravecto) for dogs."
In January 2016 Dr Carney posted an update with 06/18/15 - 01/06/16 data. For that time period there were 2,048 ADE reports for Nexgard and 2,852 ADE reports for Bravecto.
When comparing data, a great point to note was as follows: "Underreporting occurs with most adverse event reporting systems. The frequency of reporting for a given drug product varies over time, and may be greater when the drug is newly marketed, or when media publicity occurs."
Read Dr Carney's blog yourpetsneedthis.com with links to the full ADE reports.
An EMA (European Medicines Agency) 18 February 2016 public bulletin aimed at informing veterinarians and the public of the main outcome of post-marketing surveillance activities for veterinary medicinal products evaluated Bravecto as follows: "Monitoring is on-going since 2014 because of a relative high number of reports for this relatively new product."
Reporting adverse reactions
If your dog has an adverse reaction to medications, vaccinations or microchips, did you know you can report it? Did you know that reporting it is actually quick and easy and can be done online?
It is important that we all report any adverse reactions, so there will be a record should it happen again to another pet.
To find out more, please visit Reporting Adverse Reactions.
Reporting adverse reactions to Bravecto
A Facebook group called Does Bravecto Kill Dogs? encourages dog owners to report any possible side effects their dog has experienced after taking Bravecto.
"It is very important that every adverse side effect be reported - even if it occurs once. You don't need proof of cause to report - only a suspicion that Bravecto caused the side effect. Take notes on any discussions you had including the names of the individuals you spoke with. This needs to be done if your dog is currently experiencing symptoms or had them in the past."
They explain that reporting reactions to Bravecto is a two step process.
1) Call Merck/MSD Animal Health. In some countries there is an option to email but calling is preferred. This link gives the phone numbers for MSD worldwide.
You should insist on getting a case number. If you can't get through to Merck/MSD, then proceed to step two.
2) File a report with the government agency responsible for oversight in your country. Click on this link for information on how to report in many countries:
Their page followers are also invited to share any adverse reactions they feel their dogs have suffered as a result of taking Bravecto. Of course, this should also be in addition to any official reporting of adverse reactions.
Update 22nd January 2017 - Thank you to a number of people who have commented here and on social media, giving me more information, which I have also included in this blog.By Jenny Prevel
© D for Dog www.dfordog.co.uk
This article belongs strictly to D for Dog and we do not authorise the copying of all or any part of it.
Believe all the hundreds of people who have beloved pets have died in agony after taking Bravecto
Dogs with issues post Bravecto, vets and Merck appear to say it is a result of an existing underlying issue with the dog - -well if that's the case then can vets tell us what the dogs underlying issues are before Bravecto and therefore don't recommend Bravecto. You can't just after the event say oh it was underlying! Never used it and never will. Will investigate any drug before letting my animal ingest it now as a result of Bravecto.
In actual fact there has been no "long term" research into this drug. It is common practise for vet meds to be monitored within the community to establish long term effects. This is why it is so important to report. What concerns me is that Merck continue to tell people there have been no adverse reports when there have been thousands. Our dog had a severe grand mal seizure 5 days after being given Bravecto. I reported to Merck and was told it was the first they had received. I now know that this was untrue, thanks to the freedom of information act. Since then other owners of dogs having seizures have also been told it has not happened before in spite of receiving my report and others. My dog has fortunately been seizure free for 14 months. No more Bravecto for him.
That is shocking. How can they get away with that?
My pug was given Bravecto and a day later she had the most intense seizure that lasted about 7 minutes. We thought we had lost her. She has always been so healthy and we knew this was side effect from Bravecto. Our Vet would not hear what our thoughts were and described it as coincidental and some underlying symptoms must have caused it. He told be this 24 hours later when he checked her over and gave her a clean bill of health. Mollie has been seizure free for the past 15 months. I will definitely not give Bravecto to any one of my dogs ever again. I always say " Where there is smoke there is always fire"
It is not mass hysteria, these concerns about Bravecto. There are reports of deaths and serious side effects, both neurological and liver/spleen/kidneys. I have a senior dog who was given Bravecto when it was new on the market and she got seriously ill. The only factor that I believed caused this was her taking Bravecto. I called the Vet office (my Vet was in the process of retiring) and described her symptoms which were worse at night. She became withdrawn, her eyes would get very dialated and she would start trembling, shaking, panicking, jump on me and press into me across my face, very scared. This happened throughout the day and was worse at night. She had what appeared to be small seizures, wanted to hide in a closet, panicked and into the farthest corner. She was terrified and stayed that way for at least four months. The Vet office said it sounded like dementia. But my RN son and I were thinking side effect to Bravecto. I am glad I did not listen to my Vet office or I would have put her to sleep. Dementia is not reversible. Once her symptoms started to subside, it took months to get back to nearly normal. She is more aloof than before but pretty much recovered. The other two dogs took it too and had very minor listed side effects. So I gave them a second dose. Both had symptoms that were amplified but I cannot say what part Bravecto may have played because of their ages. One died within months after. She was very old. The other is terminal, but also very old. But my youngest dog's symptoms were not explainable from any other angle. No toxins other than the pesticides in Bravecto that she could have gotten into.
This article is also reporting without the full and current information, as it is NOT looking at the more recent figures of pet deaths and illness as of 2017 and instead quotes information of the group from 2015, and also, sadly, Snopes (a rumour killing site) are only commenting on the specific case mentioned.
Yes, things are unproven. Yes, various vets agree and disagree.... but evidence is building (rest of sentence edited by admin).
Currently the big pharmaceutical companies making these treatments are even threatening legal action for people and Facebook groups saying bad things about their products (but you can say "I think" and "I believe that etc etc".
In much the same way as the big tobacco companies fought for years against statements or lawsuits that their tobacco products were harmful we are seeing the same thing now with the pesticide in question and similar named products and companies.
I personally know someone who lost one of her dogs who is convinced it was down to Bravecto.
Now, with regard the concern for the safety of these products, I believe it is justified and because of that concern would NOT recommend anyone use it for their pets until there is a greater oversight and review.
As for it not harming all pets, you have to realise that not all pets are the same! Some smaller breeds may be affected more then bigger ones, some specific breeds seem to have more reported cases regardless of size.
In the same way that not every human is affected by peanuts, peanut butter or shellfish... enough are to agree that the problem exists for some! I believe this is the case for these pet treatments, but simply put, enough pets are not affected by it (rest of sentence edited by admin).
However, if there were as many cases reported on death and serious medical injury in a human as has already been reported on these pet treatments you can be sure that the medicine would have been pulled further to a medical review on safety!
Some vets have even told distraught pet owners with their animals dead or dying in their arms that the treatment is harmless to the pet, that it doesn't affect their organs - yet a huge amount of cases have been autopsied and show massive damage and organ failure!?
Let me ask you some very important and relevant questions -
The treatment is designed to kill ticks and fleas, yes?
Ticks and fleas feed off of your pet's blood, yes?
So the chemicals that KILL the ticks and fleas MUST circulate in your pets body and bloodstream once ingested, yes?
So when the ticks and fleas suck the blood they, in turn, take in the chemical and it kills them, follow this so far?
Therefore, some of your pets may react more to this ingested chemical than others!
Your pet's internal kidneys and liver are designed by nature to filter toxins out of the digestive system and the blood (exactly where the Bravecto medicine puts it!!) and this may (edited by admin) have a correlation with the deaths and illnesses in pets with organ failure after taking these medicines.
Remember, if there were this many reported cases and deaths affecting humans the drugs would be pulled so fast your head would spin! (rest of paragraph edited by admin).
Are you willing to chance your pet's life without knowing more, or having more oversight and checks?
That's is all that is needed. Awareness and more testing, maybe they can tweak their product so they still make money but it is safer? In my opinion it needs to be safer and I wouldn't give it to my pets....
Because my pets are family!
"This article is also reporting without the full and current information, as it is NOT looking at the more recent figures of pet deaths as of 2017".
Where would I find these figures please?
If you mean the figures quoted on deaths etc. you have to apply to ASK EMA and they email the report in around a week.
BRAVECTO FIGURES ON EMA UP TO 23rd Nov. 2016.
Our most recent EMA figures are now 3332 adverse serious adverse events reported and 780 deaths as of 23rd. November. So reported ADE's are up 407 in the past month. 98 more reported deaths in last month.
We are waiting for a new report now.
The quickest reported death I read on the report was a 5 month old Shih Tzu puppy that died in vets office within 30 minutes of administering the tablet.
Thanks Jane.
Very well written Eve, Well Done. At no point has it been claimed that Bravecto kills dogs, only some! nearly 800 at the last count. Your analogies with human medicine are very important.
Several vets warning strongly against its use. Here is one of several issued by a vet. There are a few vets in the USA & AU, SA and the UK that will not use it so it is not 'unhinged pet owners' or 'hype'.
http://www.holisticandorganixpetshoppe.com/warning-bravecto-and-nexgard.html
"Bravecto has an active ingredient called Fluralaner. Due to the recent introduction, there is very little knowledge on tolerance in different dog breeds or in young, old or otherwise weak animals. Although there are reports of toxicity and death. Within 9 days of being given the product the dog developed anorexia, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. This was followed by elevated calcium levels and multi-organ failure. Once you put them in you can’t get them out. Most owners and veterinarians do not associate the side effects with the chemicals because the side effects may not show up for days to weeks after the drug is given. Many times the side effects do not show up until the second or third dose is given.
As Clayton Veterinary Associates put it: "Protect your pets and don’t give in to the scare tactics of big pharma and the media."
Thanks Jane, that's interesting.
My dog is still receiving treatment and ultrasounds which is being paid for by the manufacturer. His liver and pacreas both affected by Bravecto, he has been so ill over the past eight months, which started the day after administering this product to him. Coincidence, or what?
So this is interesting. If the drug manufacturer are paying for your dog's treatment, presumably they have admitted liability, in this case. What did they say Michele?
Re your question about update from EMA. They just had a meeting 17/19th January.
Bravecto mentioned again :-
"The Committee also reviewed the PSURs for Bravecto, Broadline and Osurnia and recommended amendments to their product literature. In addition, with regard to Bravecto the Committee requested a targeted PSUR on all serious adverse event reports."
Thank you so much for sharing this. I read your newsletter every month but something was telling me to read it today. I didn't have any idea about Bravecto. At last years vax appt., our vet suggested a new treatment that covered ticks. Our dog has never had ticks and gets on well with Advocate. I said no last year because I don't like testing new products on my dog. I did more research and learned about things like diameoteous earth and natural rememdies. We have continued with the Advocate this year but my husband said, why don't we try that new one and I said ok. We still had one Advocate left and even though the vet said to start the Bravecto, I thought, no, I feel a bit weird about it and just gave her a bath. I am so glad I have seen this because I would fall apart if I lost my dog. Going to steer well clear now. Thank you so much.
I am so glad to have read this tonight as I have this treatment ready to give to my dog which is overdue! I am not at home with my dog but will be calling my husband to throw it in the bin and ask the vet to supply Frontline again instead or look into a natural alternative. Anyone out there have any suggestions?
I have serious issues with Fontline - I am convinced this caused a massive stroke and ultimately the death of my otherwise healthy beloved bearded collie. Use with caution.
My dog is having skin problems ,diet with frontline .Very dry scaly belly anybody else had this problem
hiy, my 2 yr old collie spayed bitch had bravecto 5 days ago, she used to have endless energy ((as do all collies)) and fantastic skin now she is quite lethargic, hardly running on her walks and have noticed she started scratching like mad upon checking her her skin down her back is really dry and scaley so I'm now going to have to get veterinary treatment and probably at a ridiculous cost due to using bravecto, my first and will defo be my LAST time... Just hoping my girl is treatable
Seriously use Frontline with extreme caution. I am convinced it was THE cause of a massive stroke and then death of my beloved bearded collie.
My dog had Bravecto.and his skin went all scaley and itchy, he had patches of flaky skin all over his body. It all occurred since this drug.
So glad I read these reviews, just been recommended Bravecto by my vet but would not consider it until I did some research as they could tell me nothing about any risks. So glad I did my research, I will not be using this drug
I reported my dog's illness to MSD and to the EMA. MSD contacted my vet, told them it was the first case of this disease that had been reported to them. Seems this is a standard first line response. Meanwhile, they continue to make millions from it. My dog was fine till I gave her this drug. Then she was vomiting all the time - this is a noted side effect and even this I didn't link the two. it was the 2nd dose that really kicked in. She became anaemic. I was asked if she could have possibly had access to any poison. I replied the only thing she has was a Bravecto. But the vets don't seem to want to link this product with adverse side effects. It's a conflict of interest anyway as they sell it and make money too. vets are there to make money ultimately and they can say, well, only a few dogs have side effects and it's a useful product. All medication has side effects but we should be able to make an informed choice. We don't have tick borne diseases around here, so if I had known, I would not have given it to her. We have spent over £11,000 trying to get her back to health and we're one of the lucky ones as she is still with us. We will follow through with MSD on this as it's unacceptable. That said, the bar really should be raised for testing for veterinary products.
I am in a quandary over Bravecto. My dog had terrible allergic skin reactions for years as a result of flea bites...constant scratching leading to bald, raw, bleeding patches etc and fungal infections. Only when he was given Bravecto did this chronic condition clear up. He has been having Bravecto for a couple of years now without any obvious side effects and no more skin problems. Are all the adverse reactions which owners claim are caused by Bravecto apparent after the very first dose, or is there thought to be a risk from Bravecto when administered over the longer term? I really don't know the best course of action to take, given how much he was suffering until he was given Bravecto.
I'm wondering exactly the same . My dog suffers terribly from flea allergy bravecto seems to have stopped this ....however gave her a dosage on Thursday and she's itching like mad and a lot of hair is falling out . She's been on bravecto for two years ...I've decided I'm not giving her any more treatments again ...will look for an alternative .
Independent information about Bravecto you can find on bravectotruefacts.com
One month ago I brought my 10 year old dog in for his annual check up. Due to his age they did full blood work and labs. The results didn't show anything concerning. I opted for Bravecto as a prevention. 3 weeks later my dog was dead. The best they can tell is that it was liver damage. He had a huge tumor in/on his liver that grew so fast the blood supply couldn't keep up. The vet feels his liver was in necrosis and died which killed him. Is there anyway to prove this was due to bracecto? I'm going to call and ask for the pathology Trott (they did a biopsy the day before he died). I was devastated to loose him. I had no idea bravecto had some side effects and it was bravect No don't want anyone else to lose a pet this way but I Have no idea where to go or what to do now.
My 9 year old border collie cross bitch was given bravecto chewable on 17th of July this year. Two and a half days later she became lethargic and unresponsive. She appeared afraid and then became uncoordinated, could not climb even small reps or go upstairs, seeming confused unable to figure out how to move her legs. Five days later her general condition seems to have improved, but the lack of coordination remains,she cannot jump up onto the bed ,where she always slept
I'm glad I came across this website just in time. Last year , we gave for the first time, Nexguard to our 3 dogs of different sizes, as our vet recommended them as being more effective. They certainly were, and our dogs had no negative reactions. We were waiting for a new supply to arrive at the vets, but having read so many negative comments here, we arent going to take the risk. We'd rather go back to Frontline, which may not be as effective, but at least it wont kill our dogs.
My dog is having intense itching after first time use of Bravecto towards the latter part of the 12 week dose. The vets are talked about something in the air but my gut feeling is it's the Bravecto. I mean my dog is going crazy itching. She is a cockapoo breed and cut short all over for the summer. I see no sign of rash or dander. If this product is so bad why are they still selling it? Stock piles maybe. Animal drug pushing? I am going to try something else.
My 6 year old pug baby passed away on Saturday, he had recently had his second dose of Bravecto. He deteriorated very quickly. Testing from the vets showed that he had very high toxicity levels in his blood and his liver had failed. He was a very happy dog and I am devastated that I did not read up on Bravecto (as my dog had never had fleas) before giving it to him on the recommendation of the vet.
I gave my my German shepherd Bravecto only today oh how I wish I had looked it up first but was recommended it by vet I pray she won't have any adverse effects from it but I'm going back tomorrow to vets as signed up a 12 month supply given every 3 months which I am going to cancel along with Milquantel tabs for worms anyone know anything about them..?
I was aware of the controversy over Bravecto when my vet recommended it. She said she had dispensed thousands of tablets without problems. As my dog has severe skin problems and we live in an area in France where tick diseases are a big problem I decided to use it. I am relieved to say without any reaction. You have to weigh the danger of not using against the possibility of side effects. Difficult.
I was asked by my vet to have Bravecto. My dog is usually very active and alert. For three days he just wanted to lay next to me. I decided to take him to the vets the next day, but when I got up he seemed to have perked up. Just had a kidney test done and been told 'they are not the best. He was fine before, so convinced Bravecto caused it and will never use it again. I told the vet about my concerns and what I had now read on the internet about it possibly causing many pets to die. I was told that there had been no 'proven deaths. No, but there seem to be a lot of claims that this is the cause, so personally I would steer clear.
My 10 year old dog was given Bravecto at the beginning of November. Within a week she lost interest in her food. I took her to the vets where they took bloods which showed enzymes for Liver disease were raised. Her eye S had gone yellow in colour. She was kept in for 2 days and given IV fluids. She was released to me with medications, prednisone,desolit and ranitidine with tramadol for pain. She improved for a few weeks and the eye whites returned to normal and her appetite improved. However she refused her usual dog foods and would only eat wet food which made her stools soft. She was very lethargic but could still go for a short walk. One night she had an episode of vestibular disease which was a new problem. From then on her appetite decreased again. She lost weight rapidly. Further bloods showed no change to Liver enzymes. She became lethargic and had terrible diahorrea. Her quality of life had deteriorated so much that I chose to have her put to sleep yesterday.
There is no hard evidence to connect Bravecto with my dogs demise and as an ex nurse I understand grief and the need to blame something but all I can say is that she was fine before taking this flea medication. As an older dog I should have been more cautious and not given her Bravecto which has only been on the British market for a few years. At the time I questioned why she was not given Advantage. I was told it was a longer acting drug....longer acting means more potent with an accumulative effect. At least then there would be no doubts for me if I had not given it. My beautiful dog will be missed every day.
I have been reading your side effects issue with Bravecto.l am now concerned about our little 5.5 kilo Papillon x Who is on Bravecto and the vets receptionist insist she has the tablet that is for up to 10 kilo weight dogs.I was wondering why she is lethargic and having the odd scratching behind the ear,plus she also has a white headed spot on her back appear so l am going to change her flea treatment next time and see if it changes her activity .
My havanese puppy nearly died after taking Bravecto late in 2015. Severe trembling and seizures, high calcium. We spent AUD 10k on vet bills, blood tests in the US, MRI etc. He is ok now, it took a long time for him to get over it. We put off his de-sexing as we were worried about his health. When we did have him de-sexed he had haemorrhaging. The vet said she registered the event, not sure exactly where. Does sound like it is not the drug for all dogs. We use a tick collar now, unfortunately we live in an area with a high tick population. Would love some compensation for the cost of our vet bills!
I was going to have my 2 year old poodle put down since taking bravecto he has become aggressive for no reasonmoody lethargic not the beautiful dog he was 4 months ago
We have two large mixed breed dogs and live on a farm in Kentucky. Despite the cold weather our dogs have been covered in ticks (several kinds) all winter. I have to find a treatment that works (Frontline didn't). Anyone have a suggestion?
I've used Frontline Plus and currently use Advantix 250.
Found both to be very effective.
The Advantix seems more oily. My dog is in the fields every day.
Our Jug dog ( Pug/Jack Russell) 4year old had Bravecto 1 week ago, she turned from a sweet loving dog to one that is aggressive with other dogs and severe lethargy. It is not a coincidence as we have noticed same pattern each time she has had it. NO MORE - feel very bad for giving her a drug that is technically poisoning her and sad that it took me so long to realise it. Just hope she has not been permanently affected.Shame on you manufacturers.
Our 10 yr old labrador retriever received Bravecto at the vet a week ago. Two days later he started having diarrhea that has persisted and now is bloody. Vet initially refused to attribute to adverse effect of Bravecto, but upon examination today and no explanation for the sudden onset of symptoms, he reluctantly agreed that it probably was the Bravecto. I contacted Merck by online form at 7:00 am and by 9:30 am received a call from my veterinarian (not receptionist or staff - the vet himself) saying he had received a call from a Merck rep. Now tell me they aren’t concerned about what’s being reported. These drug companies have a lot of power & control over the vets due to pressure to prescribe their products. I believe we caught the symptoms early and hopefully some treatment for his GI distress will help while we wait 3 mos for this awful drug to get out of his system. For the record, my dog was 100% healthy before taking Bravecto. He had ZERO underlying issues and no instances of ingesting people food or something else toxic. We watch his diet closely and escort him outside to urinate/defecate. There was no reason (other than Bravecto) for him to develop this dangerous GI issue.
how did your Lab get on Anna , were in similar scenario now and vets just brush it aside as other symptoms but its far too much coincidence
I gave my English Cocker Bravecto when he was about 15 months old. For a week he had loose stools and was a bit lethargic, nothing serious, but not himself.
However it was very effective, one tablet, 5 months with no ticks, and we are in a high tick area, he is in the woods everyday, and this was throughout summer.
Since then though I use a vet prescribed spot-on.
our golden retriever was given Bravecto for first time ever 6 days ago, he has been very poorly the past 4 days , no energy at all, no appetite, yellow poo, very heavy breathing. Its too much coincidence for it not to be the tablet . The vet is in denial that it could be cause and we dont know what to do now.
our dog is now in a critical state with possible heart failure , its too much coincidence for it not to be linked to first time using Bravecto and symptoms start 24 hours later , the media need to pick up on this somehow
I should add, our dog finally passed away start of August this year after 6 visits to emergency vets and an operation , everything triggered the day AFTER taking Bravecto , he had only just turned 6 years of age, what an absolute waste
This drug should be taken off the market! I am worried sick about my 10 year old husky...got this "poison" from vet yesterday.
Has your husky had any problems with this?
The dog I lost was given Bravecto and I had not heard about what was happening and how dogs were taking so many other things wrong with them after having this drug. We had to get our wee dog put to sleep by the vet as we were toldshe had Cushions then renal Failure.
We now have another wee Shelter dog who after taking Bravecto tablet was sick so told vet we do not want this drug.
The ingredients in it I feel are not safe to give any pet.
Just wished had found out sooner but do not intend to lose this wee dog.
Following Bravecto on Facebook and so sad to hear about all these poor dogs and their owners who have lost their Beloved Pets..
Monday, 13 August, I took Dinky, my 15 year old JRT, to the vets as she was scratching and made a bald patch on her skin. The vets gave her a 250mg dose of Bravecto and some Prednisclone for her bald patch.
She would not take the chewable tablet and I have to break it into 4 pieces and "force" her to have it. Everything seemed fine.
I will say (due to losing my job) that she is no longer insured, but I at the moment in time, I do not want judgement. Judge me when this is over.
Late Sunday, 20 August, I found her collapsed in the garden, she was sopping wet and very out of it. I did not think she would see the night through. Fitst thing next morning, she was at the vets, who kept her in and treated her for dehydration an sickness. At 7pm, I took her home. As soon as she got home, she had some water and within an hour, she had brought it back up.
Took her back the next day, given a blood test and liver enzymes were high. Had a CT Scan and the vet said there were no obvious signs of liver damage, Prescribed some dog food for her, gave her an injection of steroids and sent me home with some destolit for a week.
I am having to put food in her mouth, as she will not eat, but her drinking is fine. She has lost 800g of weight in a week.
Today, I noticed that her eyes, ears and stomach are very yellow - if the her liver enzynes are high, then this I assume will be normal.
Back at the vets tomorrow, but I find it strange that pre-bravecto she was a fine 15 year old JRT, admitted she had slowed down a bit and the day before she collapsed she was fine. Lets say it is a very good coincidence linking taking "this medication" and her current liver issues.
It is breaking my heart and I fear if she does not start wanting to eat food, rather than having food paced in her mouth, then the unthinkable may have to become a reality.
I'd been using Bravecto topical on my ~5yo cat for over a year without any noticeable adverse effects, so last Friday (10/5th) I just went along with my new vet's prescription of Bravecto ingestible for my 4yo small dog (pure-bred BT, 26lbs, and a strappingly healthy/energetic boy), and this despite a friend of mine having actually just recently alerted me to the US FDA's Sept.20th 2018 safety concerns bulletin that went out regardng Bravecto. Anyhow, after dosing him on the Friday all seemed fine. The first sign of anything being amiss was that his neck glands(?) were noticeably swollen bilaterally some 24hrs later. I just assumed that he was reacting mildly/naturally to either his rabies injection or to his distemper/combo injection, both of which we'd also had done on the same day (i.e., on the Friday). On the Sunday, so at the 48hrs mark, he was in limb pain, lifting his front paw, squealing in pain when handled, shaking, tremoring. We pulled an all-nighter nursing him. He stared blankly, with short shallow breaths, clearly in real trouble. He drank thirstily from his water bowl when I brought it over to him. We didn't get back to our normal until the Tuesday morning. We were lucky. It wasn't until that Sunday night, laying beside him and worried sick, that I began to realise that this was, in all seeming likelihood, a bad reaction to the Bravecto. We saw no diarrhea, and I was able to get him to eat during all of this, so I 'chased' his apparent poison/overdose with several different kinds of foodstuff, hoping that the Bravecto in his gut/mucosa/system might possibly bind preferentially to one or other. I got him to eat boiled chicken breast mixed with rice (so protein & carbohydrate), cheese (fat), raw beef (protein). Thankfully, we pulled through by Day 5 (i.e., by the Tuesday). I'm taking the time to write this entry here just in case it might be of use/interest to anybody whose dog's similarly affected. I duly reported our personal experience to our vet, as well as to the manufacturer (Merck).
I have been giving our 3 dogs Bravecto for about a year now. I last gave the med to my 3 on November 17, 2018. On November 19, 2018 my Border Collie presented with sudden onset vestibular syndrome. It didn't occur to me to make the connection until I found some links to correlations between Bravecto and vestibular syndrome. I will never give this med again. I feel sick.
I treated my two dogs with Bravecto on 29th January. One is a 10yo large Cavalier, the other a poss 10yo Welsh Collie. The next day the Collie didn't want her food and was lethargic, but this did stop. On Sat 6th Feb at 6am she was sick, bringing up bright yellow sort of slime, so I gave her fish and rice for her meal. Sunday morning 6am and 6.15 sick again, bright yellow slimey gunge. I'm feeding her fish and rice and was recommended to use Milk Thistle to detox her liver. She also has natural Greek yogurt and milk before she goes to bed, but I've noticed both dogs are drinking twice what they used to. I only read up all this after giving Bravecto to them and wish I never had. I won't be using it again.
I picked up my dogs Bravecto this morning after the vet suggested I use it
As my boy suffers with his skin and ear complaints the vet saying it could be flea bite dermatitis
After reading all comments and feel for all those whose pets have been so ill
I really do not know what to do know
and could not believe the cost of these
My vet put my Toy Poodle on Nexgard flea and tick treatment. I am a member of their pet plan which involves a monthly fee and discounts off meds and “free flea and wormers” etc. My dog began to have seizures which became more frequent and more intense as time went on. It didn’t enter my head that it could be the Nexgard. I was advised by someone who had been through a similar experience to stop giving Nexgard to my dog and the seizures stopped. I informed the vet who agreed to prescribe an alternative which I picked up today. The alternative I have been given is Bravecto which I will NOT be giving to my dog. I think this whole area of dog medication has to be addressed.
Nice presented blog and very well written. My dog had fleas and ticks two years ago. My vet recommended Nexgard or Bravecto both treatments for the dog. I choose Nexgard because it comes in a tasty beef flavor that is easy to administer. And only single chew covers the whole month. After using the preventive, my dog was fleas and ticks free. I was happy for the amazing result. I would recommend this treatment. Thanks!
My dog had bravecto had lots of the above symptoms will never be having this again!!!
My little dachshund chihuahua mix had diarrhea several hours after I gave him Bravecto. He was ok for a couple days, then terrible vomiting and diarrhea started. It was forceful vomiting and explosive watery mahogany colored diarrhea and when wiping it up you could see the red as there was a lot of blood in it. It's been over a week and he continues to have intermittent nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. My vet isn't convinced it was Bravecto but he's the one who strongly recommended it. His bloodwork showed severe dehydration. I know it was the Bravecto. He was completely healthy and fine prior to getting it. Cost me 900 dollars not including the damn Bravecto at the vet. Had to hydrate him and gave him meds to combat the nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. My poor little Magnus. How do they get away with this? There should be an anecdote!!