Bravecto: Summon Your Courage for This Killer
Be Very Clear on What Bravecto Does
Sure, you don’t want fleas and ticks attacking your pets. I get it. They are the definition of “pest!”
Not only bothersome, they can carry disease and cause anemia.
And this new drug called Bravecto sure sounds like a slick fix to keep these buggers off your Sadie.
But, let’s get real for a moment. Amid all the glorious Bravecto ads proclaiming flea “prevention” and “control,” you’ll also find the word “kill.”
You just have to dig a bit, and there it is.
*Bravecto kills fleas and prevents flea infestations. Bravecto Chew kills ticks (black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick) for 12 weeks and also kills lone star ticks for 8 weeks. Bravecto Topical for Cats kills ticks (black-legged tick) for 12 weeks and American dog ticks for 8 weeks.”
In fact, the rapidity with which this drug kills fleas is one of its top selling points. The killing starts within two hours of your dog eating the chewable!
Now I can’t, in my heart of hearts call this a “preventative,” can you? It’s a killer of pests, in this case, fleas and ticks.
So, let’s use this word instead, shall we: Pesticide.
And let’s be blunt, while we’re at it: Pesticides are poisons.
How Does This Work, Exactly?
It’s the delivery system that should give you pause. In case it’s not apparent in the slick ads, let’s again be very simple about this, fair enough?
If you feed your dog a pesticide, and it kills fleas and ticks, what’s the vehicle for the pesticide to get to the pest?
Your pet’s blood stream!
Does that cause you any concern at all? It was like a cold slap to the face when I first saw Merck’s ads for this.
And, get this, it stays in your pet’s blood, at lethal levels to fleas and ticks, for 12 weeks!
If that’s not at all scary to you, you probably can skip the rest of this article. In my mind, bells and whistles went off reading about how fast it starts poisoning fleas and how long it persists at killing concentrations.
In your pet’s blood stream.
The Undying Hope of Toxic Drugs
All the killing drugs you’re sold by Big Pharma, whether it’s pesticides for your pet, antibiotics for infections, Monsanto’s RoundUp for weeds, or chemo for that darned tumor that popped up, have the same simplistic hope:
We’ll only kill the bad guys. We’ll leave the good guys alone. Promise.”
Good guys here means beneficial flora, crops we desire to sell or eat, or our own cells vs the wildly reproducing cancerous ones.
If only that were the case.
We now know that even one dose of antibiotics can create life long gut flora disruption, aka dysbiosis. And that affects digestion, immunity, and even behavior, all for ill.
We also know we’ve been fed a bushel of lies on how safe RoundUp is supposed to be. It’s residues are following many GMO foods right into your body and causing similar dybiosis and its attendant negative effects.
Ask anyone who’s had chemo how long they felt terrible, and if they were lucky enough to beat the tumors, if they ever recovered from “chemo brain.”
And so it is with Bravecto. It’s targeting insects and ticks, and mammals are supposedly built differently enough that they’ll escape the toxic effects of its active ingredient, fluralaner.
This pesticide, like most of the flea killers and the heartworm larvae killers I teach about in my ebook/audiobook on drug free heartworm prevention is a neurotoxin.
Insects and ticks and yes, even heartworm larvae under the influence of these neurotoxins go into spasm and stay that way until they die of asphyxiation.
And the undying hope continues to falter along.
“Only the bad guys…”
So, How’s That Hope Working Out?
I’m glad you asked. As you might guess, we’re seeing horror stories popping up:
- In Facebook pages dedicated to telling the reality of people and pets’ experience:
Does Nexgard Kill Dogs? (Nexgard and Bravecto, same class of pesticides)
- and in my own inbox:
Hi My dog is sick since receiving Bravecto. Diagnosed w kidney disease and pancreatitis. He Is not throwing up anymore but he won’t eat.I will never again give him or my other 2 dogs and cats pesticides.” – Anita Clark
“I live in country rural Queensland Australia and we had a shocker of a tick season starting early….so I weakened as they all (Pomerians) have huge big fluffy coats and made the worst decision in my entire life as a companion owner.The clincher here for me is that TWO had the Bravecto BUT the baby (7 months) was under weight (1.9kgs) to give it to her (even though vet said it would be fine), so I held off for two weeks until her weight was in the correct range…. During the said two weeks the two older girls were a little “off” so to speak…baby was normal and healthy….
However, within a day or so of administering to the baby all three hit the tiles….vomiting blood, repulsive stools ….bleeding from the rectum….a lesion developed on the babies bottom lip and eye lid…Middle girl developed a lump on her tummy region….all three grazing grass profusely.
All whites of eyes were going a brownish colouring….gums were blackening beautiful white teeth were yellowing…” – Lillian Oxley, Queensland, NSW, Australia
Common Side Effects
Merck sells the Bravecto but only by prescription.
[Side note: “Be brave! Trust us on this blood borne pesticide against fleas!” Is that where the “Brav” piece comes in, do you suppose? Gotta love drug names…]
They list common side effects, mostly corroborated by those who’ve filed Adverse Drug Event reports. Here’s a third quarter 2016 ADE Report, summarized by Dr. Elizabeth Carney. [ Note: this report covers three similar pesticides, Bravecto, Nexgard, and Simparica, all in the same class]
For this time period, there were 1,875 reports, including 1,867 for dog, 4 for cat, and 4 for human (accidental) exposure. The top 6 reported clinical signs are:
- Vomiting and Emesis 787 reports
- Lethargy 244 reports
- Diarrhea/Loose Stool/bloody diarrhea 214 reports
- Lack of efficacy (ectoparasites) 181 reports
- Anorexia/decreased appetite/not eating/inappetance 207 reports
- Seizure 62 reports
Deaths reported total 38 (death by euthanasia + found dead + sudden death).
You now know these pesticides are neurotoxins, so the reports of seizures won’t be a big surprise to you.
And, as you likely know, the number of reported adverse drug effects is a tiny percentage of those that actually occur.
In case you’ve come late to this page, and your dogs are already intoxicated by this drug, here’s my Homeopathic Detox Protocol that you can download and get started today. Full instructions included on what I’d be doing if your dog was my patient.
Detox My Dog NOW
Better, Safer Options
One of my most popular pages spells out some simple yet effective methods for controlling fleas (and ticks) without the use of pesticides.
None of these will contaminate your pet’s blood, and none of them will kill fleas in two hours after oral ingestion, but now that you know the risks of these drugs, that’s probably no longer top of mind for you.
Here’s that page for you, which, depending on where you live, you may want to bookmark for Spring: Non-Toxic Flea (and Tick) Control.
Let us know in the comments if you’ve experienced Bravecto (or Nexgard, or Simparica, all related pesticides).
Good results and bad, we’re all ears.
I really don’t get it. Horror stories about these toxic pesticides killing pets and yet people insist on using these on their pets. Why?
It’s the power of marketing, and to a lazy mind. We all want easy, but yeah, if easy is toxic? Why, indeed?
Vet’s in Sydney, Australia, especially those in high paralysis tick areas (where I used to live, but am now in a very low paralysis tick area), REALLY PUSH Bravecto…like they’re getting commission or something! Despite there being alternatives – when living in a high tick area, during tick ‘season’ I used a fortnightly spot on treatment that did NOT pass the lipid layer, therefore it did NOT enter my dog’s bloodstream, and in the ‘off season’ I used a specialised paralysis tick collar which also remained in the lipid layer, therefore it did NOT enter my dog’s bloodstream. I did considerable research, and was happy with my regime, but was STILL getting shamed by my vet at the time for not using Bravecto – as it was ‘the best option for my dog’, even though my regime was working just fine. Fast forward a bit, and my old girl passed away after a long, happy life, from a short illness. I’m now living in a very low risk area for paralysis ticks, and have 2 beautiful Cavoodles (Cavapoo’s), and hadn’t been giving them any tick (or flea) preventative for a few years due to being undecided….
But this Summer was forecast to be a wet one – and ticks were being found in Spring in areas they wouldn’t usually be, my Dad uses the Bravecto spot on for his 2 toy Poodles and hasn’t had an issue, so looking at all the options again (and having 1 dog that won’t eat ‘chewable’ treat like products), I went for the Bravecto spot on – ASSUMING that it was like other spot on’s and remained in the lipid layer…well it doesn’t, it spreads throughout the whole body via the bloodstream. I put it on them both in late November and they’ve both been completely fine – no issues, they’re both around 8.7-9kg so felt OK that I wasn’t overdosing them being near the top of the weight range (4.5-10kg). Problem is, is that it only covers the brown dog tick for 3months – and since May 2020 we’ve had brown dog ticks spreading a deadly disease (E. Canis) around certain parts of Australia (not NSW to date, but it started in the NT & WA, and is now all over SA too!).
And I feel generally uncomfortable dosing my girls with a product that otherwise lasts 6months AND has the potential to cause seizures, as Cavoodles already have a predisposition to seizure disorders.
So although we’re almost 3months past administration, and there have been no adverse effects, I’m very reluctant to use this again. I don’t believe that just because it was ok the first time, it would necessarily be ok EVERY time. I want the best for my girls, and want to keep them safe….it’s just so hard to find the right combination of products to suit our needs – hence not using anything for a few years! 🤦🏼♀️
June 26, 2021 Me and a friend applied Bravectro to my cat after trip to the vet found her to be anemic from fleas and that stuff made her howl all night long and i was afraid she was in pain as her meowing was so unnatural. The next morning she was seemingly ok and over the hallucinations i thought. But she had a bout of it a couple night or one night later and she would go under the dresser and she wanted to come out but was yelping again and notice, she had this silent moeow always! But at any rate, she would go to walk turn and go back and the bottom line she ended up not able to even stand up and she was eating like a champ but my friend said she was pooping over her poor little self and so that was about it. That’s sad. She was walking fine before we put that shit on her, I’m sorry but that is that. Something is a little tooooooo strong or something, she wasn’t itching any more or scratching, and she used to. I hate fleas and they’re no good Devil’s club bug that has no useful purpose.
Thank you for this discussion, i have read just about every post and i am reminded how much i do not trust big pharma…
That said, what i dont see on this page and would really like to discuss: so as to be informed more is DOSAGE.
Long story short i let a friend convince me to put my sweet 2yo chihuahua boy on bravecto bc in florida fleas are year round…
my friend brought over two chews, one for his dog and one for mine, both the same 4.4-9.9lb range, and said, “Milo is 5.5 lbs, Sasha is 11lbs, but they take the same dose.”
I said “Milo weighs HALF what Sasha weighs, i will split it in half!” So this is how we dosed them, BOTH DOGS being slightly UNDER DOSED for their weight, and i have to say Milo has been flea free and not shown one single odd symptom, and i have thanked my friend for this new way of life..
(Also i believe i waited a good 5 months to give him the other half of the pill, and then gv him another half a pill 4 months later so a longer stretch in btwn doses than the 12 wks recommended as well…)
So here is what i am wondering, bc milo has showed no side effects, and my friends dog Sasha has been taking it a few yrs now, also w no problems, is it possible that there is some math that is not going into how these drugs are administer? I mean forgive me, i have no doubt that this drug is POISON!, but then so is alcohol, and many humans consume it in moderation to little consequence…
So i wonder of it is actually “safe” in smallEr than recommended doses, (and if younger animals, with NO existing health issues also present more resilience)
Thank you for any insight on this, as i am on the fence for the fourth time now about administering this drug to my precious baby…. for now im holding off but it really has been the only thing thats worked for us, diatomaceous earth, mint sprays, neem oil etc have all been only slightly effective, not complete like this miracle poison
Hi,
I can’t comment for Bravecto, except that I felt more comfortable using it given the fact that my 2 dogs are on the upper end of the weight range.
But the worming tablets I use have 2 options (sorry, have to use metric, I’m Australian😅) – less than 5kg, and greater than 5kg (up to 25kg, before the instructions advise to give more than one tablet for dog’s over 25kg). Now my 2 Cavoodles hover around 8.5kg-9kg, and when transitioning my eldest from the up to 5kg tablet to the next one…I did the math based on the numbers on the packet, and I couldn’t possibly give her the bigger tablet – it was literally 6 times the therapeutic dose required! So I did 1.5tabs of the smaller one until she outgrew that, then I halved the big one’s, and have been doing so ever since (same deal with her little sister) – so they’re still both getting on average the required amount for a 12.5kg dog on 1/2 a tablet, why on earth would I give them 3 times the therapeutic dose by giving them a whole tablet!?!? What a stupid range to have! Giving a 6kg dog the same as a 25kg dog? Don’t think so.
So I’m with you on narrowing the dose if your pet sits in the middle or on the lower side of the range!
Are there any suggestions for natural treatments for Demodex in cats? My cat has what seems to be eosinophilic granulomatous disease, now thought to be caused by Demodex (wasn’t diet, doesn’t go outside, no fleas). So I’m using Bravecto (just gave second dose) to avoid the courses of steroids when he gets bad rodent ulcers and leg nodules. I haven’t had any issues with the Bravecto, but would love a more natural treatment if one is to be had…
Why would you use a flea medication if your cat doesn’t go out Sind and has no fleas?
I gave my 4 year old cat Bravecto for a year, 4 doses. First dose was on 5-17-17 and last 2-21-18. She started having mild side affects, but they increased and she got sicker and sicker. She definitely had trigeminal nerve damage because she couldn’t drink water and had trouble eating. Pretty sure she suffered with feline dysphasia but the vet never diagnosed her, I did. His diagnosis’ ranged from allergies to some kind of spinal injury. She had ALL the symptoms for feline dysphasia: drooling, gagging, dropping food from the mouth, repeated attempts at swallowing, coughing, weight loss and pain around the head, mouth and neck area and weakness all over her body. I had to put her down August 10, 2019 she was 6. 😿
I find it interesting that in the excerpt from the person with the two adult dogs and the puppy that the two adult dogs did not become seriously ill until after the puppy got a dose of Bravecto. This seems more like all three dogs has exposure to something else that made them sick. There is a tendency to confuse “correlation” with “cause and effect”. If I fell down stairs and broke a leg after drinking orange juice that does not mean orange juice causes broken bones, or even clumsiness.
There’s a place for repeated correlation however, and these comments paint a picture of concern for Bravecto’s side effects being serious.
Wow, John, 9 months later and both still suffering? That’s a real travesty, from a drug that’s purported to be safety tested, isn’t it?
I’d strongly recommend hiring a homeopathic vet to get your girls turned around. Nothing in conventional medicine can truly cure what you’re faced with now, the all too common chronic disease that lingers and smolders and makes life challenging for all involved, victims as well as caregivers.
Head to my Resources page: http://vitalanimal.com/recommended-resources/ and search in the AVH list (mostly US homeopathic vets, so if you’re from elsewhere, just grab the international list nearby).
Next, search on two criteria:
1. Most or all of his/her practice is homeopathy, and
2. They’ll work with you by telephone appointment, assuming you’ve not got someone in #1 nearby.
Give it time, curing chronic disease is rarely a “one hit wonder,” but it can get both girls cured over time, with proper attention to details of how they are ill. All the best, Dr. F
Bravecto IS a poison.
My two Anatolian-Pyrenees (sisters) had Bravecto at 12 months old.
Both became unwell the following day, lethargic, lose stools and not eating.
Now 9 months later they both have a very poor appetite and it’s a constant battle to feed them and for them to maintain weight.
One just had surgery to remove an blocked salivary gland, even the Vet suspects Bravecto as being the cause….!!!
Before any smart ass calls this ‘fake news’ tell me how both girls were affected and still have identical problems today….!!!
More information:
A French female bulldog was pregnant while I had to make decisions about the other dogs…
I didn’t want to give her any tick medicine while she was pregnant.
All the other dogs were treated with NetGard or Bravecto (because of local supplies availability) and the situation was dire.
Then she gave birth to five healthy puppies two days later.
I then decided that I would test Bravecto on her, as puppies starting their lives heavily infected by ticks is not nice. (in fact ticks don’t seem very attracted by puppies… another interesting thing to investigate).
I checked all relevant information about Bravecto being used on pregnant females, lactating females etc.
Then I did it: either one dead dog and five dead puppies or something else…
In any cased I would learn something.
Even the local vet here would not commit… He is afraid that customers will come back, saying: your Bravecto killed my dog!!!
So my selfish experiment turned out to be good:
A happy mother, five healthy puppies that crawl around doing what puppies do: suckle, sleep, and make funny noises when they want to suckle more…
So I have learnt many things:
1) My nine dogs are currently happy and play with each other instead of scratching themselves endlessly. They’re on a schedule now for medicine when required,
2) Internet information about just about anything isn’t worth much. The BRAVECTO KILLED MY DOG sites are a shame.
3) Many vets are wimps. They should tell their customers that depending on age, history etc, there is always a risk,
4) Most internet sites that complain about NetGard, Bravecto, Tylenol, Aspirin etc KILLED my dog are just garbage…
5) People who keep complaining about the death of their pet should learn how to use paragraphs. It does help to understand what they are saying.
So there we are.
Maybe I should add some information. March to June is the worst time for ticks in Thailand: very hot, little wind, especially in the rice plains.
One dog is a local dog, the others are French bulldogs.
They suffer a bit from the heat during that period, but we make sure that they get a lot of time to play after sundown, when the temperature goes down.
The main problem has been ticks, and a way to deal with them.
Local dogs here are lucky to reach 6-7 years.
Just a farmer’s attitude.
When I ended up with eight Frenchies, due to some idiotic decision (not mine), I was faced with the fact that I had to give these dogs the best life they could get.
After trying to handle the mess manually (daily tick checks etc, which turned out to make the dogs happy (bonding etc, they actually welcomed their daily tick check, I could see it was painful sometimes, but they knew it was good for them)), it became clear there was no way to keep the dogs comfortable.
Nine dogs, 20-30 ticks per paw, ears cleaned the night before and full of ticks the next morning…
My main decision to try the chewable products from NetGard and Bravecto was simple:
My dogs are in pain. Previous solutions don’t help.
I can’t move my dogs to Norway or such nice place.
So I investigated a bit, found out that there are a lot of websites that claim that NetGard and Bravecto chewables will kill your pets, accelerate liver disease in your grandmother and her bicycle and all sort of nonsense.
Then I bought the chewable stuff and tested it.
Three weeks in, the dogs are happy, scratching is gone, and their life is back to normal. Of course they still get bitten by ticks (but the ticks die), and a grooming session every day for them still makes them very happy. It takes 5 minutes instead of an hour.
Any question? I’ll be glad to answer.
I have nine dogs, in Thailand. They were under the care of a friend, who used Frontline (applied at the back of the head). When I visited, the dogs were suffering from massive tick infestation (hundreds per dog) small ones, big ones, ears full of them.
It was dreadful, and the dogs were clearly unhappy. It is clear that skin application only works so far (ticks die on the neck and thrive on the paws).
So I bought some chewable NetGard and Bravecto for testing.
I am happy to report that it worked a lot better than the skin lotion.
The dogs are young and healthy, no more than four years old.
Ticks are killed even on the paws or at the back of the tail, which used to be a big problem before.
Most important, the dogs are a lot happier now.
The next step was to disinfect the house and the dog area, which was done with Bayticol spray, to kill ticks and their eggs.
We now have the situation under control: ticks cannot reproduce when mating on the dogs (the ticks die before that), and the surroundings are ok.
Of course, it means constant vigilance, a budget for the dogs medicine and periodical (careful) indoor spraying to prevent recurrence of the problem.
In conclusion, I’m happy that there is now a (not cheap) solution that works, rather than all these other things (collars, neck applications etc) that I have tried before at great expense with unsatisfactory results.
The dogs are happy, and so am I.
It is the end of 2022… How are the dogs doing now?
Revolution worked well for months on my 1yr old since he was a kitten, but since Dec it seemed less effective. We adopted a 2nd cat, last year & she seemed to be a host all along since the topical I purchased at the store wasn’t working. It’s hard to tell my 1yrd old had fleas except for the occasional random itch because he’s very long haired & I’d then see a flea on the chin after the scratching. For 2 months the vet recommended Bravecto, saying the revolution can sometimes Only last 3 weeks, instead of the 4. The older/newer cat, got sick so I took her to an animal hospital where that’s where it was revealed she had many fleas during the exam. They recommended Bravecto, & I couldn’t afford it for both cats, and we have a new rescue kitten for a month now who was due for his flea prevention too. I purchased the animal hospitals version of Revolution for the the older cat, & Bravecto for my 1 yr old from his vet, & Revolution for the kitten. I applied Bravecto on my 1yr old last night and as with every month I apply a shirt on him because I’m so paranoid he’ll lick the prevention because it’s usually alot of liquid since he’s 16lbs, and it’s a larger tube. Anyway, the shirt absorbed so much of the Bravecto, I was amazed to see how much liquid there was. Because of this i changed him into a diff sweater. This morning he’s been itching/scratching alot, I’m not sure if it’s because of the Bravecto or the fleas dying off, or the sweater. Now I’m worried he’s going to break his skin from scratching and have been paranoid after reading everyone’s comments here. I’m going to keep an eye on his behavior, but I hope he isn’t affected by Bravecto. It’d break my heart if he got sick. Most vet’s are recommending the heck out of it, especially because here in south texas fleas are a bad problem, especially this time of the year. I finally gave in, but I hope he does okay. It doesn’t help I already have anxiety, & I have been on high alert after reading the comments here.
OMG. I wish I had read all these posts before my beautiful, youngish German Shepherd died. Not only did he have the terribly swollen liver, but he also had foaming at the mouth, dribbling large amounts, incessant drinking of water – 2 liters at a time, he also had the white of his eyes first go red, and then brown.
At least my vet thought it was Bravecto and put him on strong painkillers.
The worst is, my 3 dogs did not want to eat the Bravecto and I forced them. I changed dog food and at first thought that is what caused the weight loss. I had also stopped using bravecto and started using it again. I feel as if I killed the love of my life – yes, my dog was the love of my life.
Hi, Marion again. Forgot to point out that ALL my GSD blood work was normal. It was the scans that showed the huge growths in his liver and chest. Im still crying my heart out. He died in my pickup on the way to put him to sleep. He was the happiest dog Ive ever met or had. I told vet I would only put him to sleep if he stopped wagging his tail.
I sincerely hope all this information reaches more public. What does one expect from eating a pesticide.. It worked very well, as there are lots of ticks where I live and my dogs swim often…but that terrible effect is exactly that. Terrible.
My 8 year old GermanShepherd started coughing and lost lots of weight. He was diagnosed with huge mass in his chest and liver on 2nd Jan. He died on 6th March. A good friend of mine lost 2 Bull Mastiff and 1 Dachshund since October 2018. The only thing our dogs have in common is Bravecto. My vet sent report to Merck, who market it in South Africa. They deny anything is wrong with their product.
At 8 years old, my German spitz was very healthy and energetic, with people always being surprised when I told them his age. But after being convinced by the vet, we started giving him Nexgard once a month, for three months, and his health went completely downhill, slowly at first, then very rapidly. At first we thought he was “getting old”, but when he suddenly stopped eating he was taken to the vet and diagnosed with a very severe form of hepatitis. The vet had no idea what could have caused it, and sort of agreed it “might” be related to Nexgard. After three months of trying everything to save him, he was euthanized. Yet another victim? I am personally convinced Nexgard killed my dog.
12 year old brother cats. Louey and Mario. Made the mistake of giving topical Bravecto to them both once last summer 2017, and again at beginning of this summer 2018. Worst mistake. Louey stopped eating and at vets discovered cancerous mass in his intestines. Died on Tuesday, Nov. 20. Very sad- too young. Will never ever give this pesticide poison to the other cat….or ever to any other pet. Really, no excuse, and have no idea what I was thinking or why I considered doing so in the first place. I’m a chemist, and I know better…..fool me once, – never again.
Sorry: the link was left out: http://yourpetsneedthis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Bravecto-fluralaner-ADE-report-Jul2015-Jan2016.pdf
Last week I lost my healthy, 7 year old greyhound. One day he stopped eating. His blood work showed low red cell count, very low (8) platelets and elevated pancreatic enzymes. The vet treated it as an autoimmune disorder. He did not respond to any treatment and 24 hours after a blood transfusion his platelet count was 2! Yesterday, I took my 12 year old labrador to the vet for not eating and his blood work looks very similar. I am beside myself with grief and searching for a reason for both dogs to have this problem. I have searched my house looking for anything they could have gotten into and I can’t find anything. They both had their first dose of Bravecto around July 1. They did not vomit, or have diarrhea or have seizures or any of the other reactions I have read about. But I am desperate for a reason and am afraid I will lose my lab too. Is it possible that a single dose of Bravecto could have had this affect on 2 healthy adult dogs? Could it have destroyed the bone marrow? Oh, they did an autopsy on my greyhound. His abdomen was full of fluid and his pancreas was necrotic. Thanks for any comments you may have.
Here’s a bit of an exhaustive list of ADE (adverse drug events) from the FDA, and though it likely represents only a small fraction of actual adverse events, I see anemia, death, bleeding disorders, and a plethora of liver and kidney markers that are abnormal (the latter pointing to toxicity issues, my point in this article).
They’d have to do more tests to measure autoimmune issues, but that’s likely the cause of anemia and bleeding (thrombocytopenia: low platelets, can no longer clot properly, so bleeding occurs).
Could one dose in dogs, especially a 12 year old, be responsible? I’d be very suspicious, especially if it struck both dogs and was the only apparent variable.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. It’s got to be devastating.
I gave my male cat Bravecto last Oct 14, 2017. He has always been a healthy energetic boy but within only a few hours he was walking around very slowly, he didn’t want his meal, he slept almost 12 hours. This lasted two and a half days with no energy and not eating, then he slowly began getting back to normal. I immediately suspected it was Bravecto caused but my veterinarian had never had an animal with those symptoms that were brought on from using Bravecto, I still suspected the product to be the cause.
Fast forward to March of this year, my cat was losing a lot of weight, blood was drawn and tested and his liver Alt level was way off the chart. By late April he was ill acting again. An ultra-sound was done and an abnormality was found on his liver. He had surgery to remove and test the tumor, luckily it tested benign. As I’m writing this account (6/19) of what happened to him, he has just recently started feeling and acting normal again, he is eating extra amounts of food and putting some much needed weight back on.
I can’t prove my feeling that his recent, serious health issue was caused by the Bravecto. I will never use it again and would caution all pet owners to find another safer product to rid their precious little loved ones from fleas and ticks.
I will mention also that their was a high dollar cost spent with everything that was done to get him healthy again.
I’ve been using Bravecto on my two KCCs for the last 18 months and neither have shown any negative symptoms. It has kept all ticks at bay, in fact I have not had to remove one tick from either of them. Prior to Bravecto was using the topical crap that never worked. I was pulling up to 20 ticks a day off my dogs. I figured the topical solution was still going in to their blood supply and that stuff has been around for years. We could blame every illness and condition on the treatments we feed our animals. You could even blame food, genetics. Until there is a firm case that Bravecto kills dogs then I will continue to use it. At least they won’t die from a tick.
I took my three yr old cat to vet for bravecto…no flras seen just prevention. She lost haur around neck immediately…and paced the floor all night…but seems ok today?
co incidence is not proof of cause and effect. It might be a basis for suspicion, but proves absolutely nothing.
I do not know if the drug was responsible for the lymphoma, and neither to do you.
And I am not arguing that your conclusion is wrong or impossible, but my argument is that when more relevant data points are considered using the scientific method, the data does not support the conclusion of cause and effect, making that conclusion very unlikely.
I am sorry for your dog and your loss, as I have a very high affinity for nice dogs, and know the pain of loss.
However, the reported incidence of lymphoma appearing shortly after other doga took the drug is very very low, so that cause and effect which you seem to feel is proven, is actually not very likely.. This low reported incidence of this possible cause and effect, does Not prove anything about your dog, but if the drug caused your dogs disease, it is a very rare, thus unlikely event.
Applying scientific principles to the analysis of data often gets results which seems at odds with “common sense”, but conclusions based upon the scientific analysis are much more likely to be correct than the apparently obvious common sense conclusions.
None of these observations proves or disproves your conclusion that the drug caused the lymphoma, but if that occurred the available data supports the conclusion that effect is very rare.
Unfortunately, scientific analysis is a very conservative way to analyze info, and it is often slow, and often seems to give results which are different that the “obvious” but scientific analysis is much more likely to be correct, than jumping to the “obvious” conclusion with only a one or a few data points. Statistical analysis of the data and the way it is processed will give good information about the probability of a conclusion is justified by the data, but don’t bother in this situation as valid statistical analysis requires many more data points than the one you have noted in this situation, as the basis for your conclusion that this drug caused the lymphoma.
Sorry about your loss, but angst, pain about a co incidence are not a very good basis upon which to draw conclusions about the likelihood (probability) of cause and effect.
Every dog as are humans. There are warnings on the packages of bravecto and nexguard that it could be harmful to a dog or cat with a compromised immune system. This takes me back to applying a topical flea and tick medication to my cavalier who had MVD. She went immediately into seizures. Fortunately I do a lot of research, and immediately wash her with Dawn dish soap and the seizures stopped. My concern is that vets do not test their patients health before prescribing this medication. There are many pets who have compromised immune systems that are not as easily diagnosed as mitral valve disease. So topical should be prescribed first before going to the hard stuff. Because once the oral is taken, it is much more expensive to undo it if it can be undone.
CORRECTION Every dog is different as are humans.
My healthy happy , active, four year old Jack was given Bravecto, he was different after receiving this poison. I was away and it was given to him by our Vet. I could see a change in his behavior, loss of interest in food, walks, started salivating, and then the shortness of breath. Last week took him too the vet, and he looked at his gums which were pure white. He told me he had been poisoned with rat poison. An X-ray showed his lungs were full of blood, and they put him on Vitamin K. Yesterday I took him back as he was looking bad, they immediately gave him a blood transfusion and said he has terminal sarcoma. Now I could not understand how a robust healthy dog could deteriorate so quickly, then I remembered that whilst I was away he was given Bravecto, as I looked on the Internet, I see that other dogs have had the similar problems, which leads me to believe that this CRAP POISON has killed my dog.
This Bravecto killed my cat in the first dose within 48 hours. Had shock, seizures, and vet couldn’t save her. Merck was contacted and contacted the vet but think twice before you use this product. They need a way to test reactions before you give a full dose of this poison. All of these types of drugs seem to have serious side effects on some animals and you can’t tell what will happen. Some, like Advantage, cause lethargy and worse. Death is a bad side effect to have. Killed a loving and great kitty before her time. We only switched from Revolutions because it irritated her skin at application site. Guess that’s a small side effect versus this one. If you are somewhere where fleas are not a big issue, might consider not using any of these poisons unless they really need it. Maybe work with the vet on small dose to gauge reaction. I wish I had done something else.
This product KILLED my cat! Gave her the topical dose and next morning she became lethargic, then severely sick. Vet gave her IV’s etc. and she seemed like might get better overnight but then at vet in morning she had two seizures and died. Healthy, 10 year old lovable companion. Nice side effect – DEATH.
My beautiful GSD puppy of 5 months started getting progressively worse and frequent seizures about a month after getting Bravecto, which was recommended to us by 2 vets. We moved to a farm and was scared of him getting fleas and ticks. I don’t know if the Bravecto was the cause. He was not really into his food for about 2 weeks before the first seizure started. The vet put him on Pexion because she thought it might be epilepsy. The seizures got more frequent and he was like a little zombie because of the meds. After a heart wrenching 3 weeks during which he ended up on more seisure meds and a Valium drip to try to control seizures which occurred with 15 minute intervals, he was taken to a specialist vet who said that nothing could be done for him and that he probably had a brain tumour or sist which had already done irreparable damage. At that stage he didn’t recognise us and could barely walk. We put him out of his misery. I am shattered.
Wow ! I never would have doubted if my dog did not throw up today after intaking Bravecto after his vet visit today. It is not his first time taking Bravecto. But the times before I just thought he didn’t really like that taste, because I thought after all this is not a treat it is a kind of “medication” for him. Even humans like us would know that something that came from the clinic or hospital does not taste as good as intaking some ice cream. Today, I was just changing my dog’s diet for the first day, and I mixed his old food with the new one, and added pumpkin puree as well. And after his meal, I gave him the Bravecto pill. But about a two minutes later, he threw up alittle along with his food. I already thought would it be the new food that he did not like? But after another two minutes, he threw up even more along with food. I couldn’t tell if it was the food or the pill’s problem, so I researched about it just so I can be sure what my next steps should be. I realized it after reading some researches answers, and came up to this. I have a bigger chance of thinking that it is because of the pill. I really hope this won’t make him sick internally, because all this time I did not know that taking flea pills is so bad for them. And I never thought that this could make any more sense to me than anything else. This is toxic/pesticide which I am giving to my dog!! So should I be sure that it was the pill and not the new food that made him vomit? Can someone tell me so I have a peace of mind?? =(
If there’s a problem with a diet change, it’s rarely vomiting, Joyce. I’d jump on the detox protocol ASAP. I think it’s linked in this article.
This is all happening now and I am very worried.
We have 2 dogs and 4 cats. One of the dogs, Billy, had a flea allergy. Everyone was itchy and scratching. My vet told me that the only way to get rid of the fleas was a flea treatment and Bravecto was recommended.
I gave the 2 dogs and 3 of the cats Bravecto on Christmas day. 9 days after giving them Bravecto all 3 cats are lethargic, barfing, and not eating.
We brought the first cat that got sick to the vet last Sunday to make sure there wasn`t an obstruction – there wasn’t ($400 for that visit) nothing, besides the Bravecto, in our house is new.
Now on Tuesday the other 2 are sick acting the same way. It has to be the Bravecto.
The forth cat has Phemfigus and recently had hip surgery for hip dysplasia and I didn’t want to give him Bravecto but he started getting flea bites on his head and i was assured by his vets that his conditions were not contraindications for Bravecto so I dosed him about a week ago. I’m afraid he is going to get sick too and won’t be able to fight it.
Will my cats be ok? They are not eating even their most favorite foods. Tgey seem hungry but then don’t eat. Kevin drank some chicken liver water but within minutes, threw it up. They drink water. I made some organic chicken bone broth and I’m hoping they will drink that when it cools. Should I force feed small amounts of baby food – meat? Is there something I can do to help them?
The dogs seem ok so far.
I am so upset that I poisoned all 6 of my animals. Never again will I use Bravecto or anything like it.
Any advice to help them make it through this?
I have never given my dog any flea / tick / heartworm pesticides.
She now has lyme disease from ticks.
What is a person to do? I am totally against pesticides, neurotoxins, in my dog’s body.
I asked the vet if bravecto (or any of the others) were recommended to them to take to prevent the host of bugs that bite humans (mosquitos, black flies, deer flies, horse flies, no-see-ums…) would they take it. Big fat NO.
Repetitive lyme exposure and disease is not a healthy option for pet longevity either…
Reading your post on non-toxic flee / tick control. I confess, I have tried many of the natural options: external essential oil application (has to be used every time she goes outside) and internal supplements – never seen any sort of results from any of the internal supplements (garlic, brewers yeast, nutritional yeast…)
Hey Paula,
So, there’s “Lyme positive” (a blood test, or titer test), and there’s Lyme Disease (multiple inflamed sore joints, etc.). In other words, a bunch of signs that this animal is no longer well.
The first one does NOT demand treatment (no symptoms, but a high titer). You’re actually seeing a healthy response to exposure, even though all too often, Dr. WhiteCoat reads that as “Antibiotics, STAT!” Which, if followed for the usual month, pretty much destroys a major part of immune system that resides in the gut bacteria.
As to prevention, it’s less about repelling ticks than it is building natural resistance, which is what I’m most focused on. A recent graduate of my course called Natural Rearing Roadmap laughs as she reports seeing the occasional flea, but seeing it jump OFF her very healthy, vital Ridgeback.
All parasites are looking for a weakened “host” — somewhere to live, often at the expense of your dog. Building that health and natural resistance is what you’ll find reference to all over this site.
While you’re building that (it takes some time), you may want to try the Wondercide Flea and Tick. Yes, if you’re in a tick-infested part oft he world, it’s got to be applied before each outing. That’s expected but temporary.
I took my 15lb Shi Tzu in for an annual exam. I have given him other chewables for fleas. we have a flea problem where we live. We tried Bravecto sunday afternoon. Monday while I was at work, my little guy started acting different. Monday by 3:30pm he passed away. This was the only thing different he had ingested. It is a horrible feeling knowing I possibly contributed to his death. It could have been prevented.
Oh, Denise, I’m so sorry you lost your little guy so suddenly and unexpectedly. All my best as you deal with what has to be a numbing grief. You acted out of trust, doing the best you knew to do. Please don’t blame yourself. His lasting memorial may just be the teaching he imparted before he left, and the new direction he’s opened for you now.
Be kind to yourself. Take time to heal and see what unfolds in the future as a result of this painful episode.
And yet my vet still maintains this is a safe, effective alternative, even today. He says there have been no problems with Bravecto out of all the animals they have prescribed this to, and he and everyone else in their office will keep their pets on it. Looks like I’m throwing out $100.00 worth of meds I bought ahead for the spring………..
Bravecto killed my dog,, one dose is all it took! He suffered for 16 months until I finally could no longer watch him get worse each month. First he almost lost the use of his hind legs, uncontrollably thirst, extensive hair loss, his skin turned to rubber, tumors started on his lower spine. He started having involuntary body movements.
REST IN PEACE AT THE RAINBOW BRIDGE MY LITTLE ONE.
I just lost a cat I rescued from being poisoned in 2012 by a Ronkonkoma complex I lived in, only to die 5 years later from Bravecto. My mom had adopted him and because of hurricane sandy hitting Amityville so hard moms home got fleas. She fought the fleas with standard methods. Then her vet gave Chowder who was about an 11 – 12 year old cat the Bravecto spot on treatment. Within 10 days we had to euthanize him. I have never seen such a horrible death for such a beautiful tabby cat. It started the following day after treatment with the Bravecto he stopped eating. The second day he was hiding in the corner of the room crouched down. He wasted away in the days following and kept trying to void and defecate but could not. He couldn’t stand up at all lost all strength and went from 13 lbs to 7 lbs in 7- 10 days. Yesterday we had no choice but to euthanize him he was suffering so badly. The first vet blamed it on a tumor he wasn’t sure he could see clearly or tell if it was benign on the xray but the liver enzyme was elevated. I got to see him on the 8th day and tried all of my holistic knowledge taught to me by a holistic vet and my background in Chinese medicine which wasn’t much. It was too late he had no spirit left and I held him as we went through the euthanasia process. He had liver and kidney failure but it was the speed in which he deteriorated that was so disturbing. I believe this product should be banned. He had a dose of antibiotics which didn’t help his immune system and I tried kefir and Ginger with raw honey just on the tip of my finger to try to get him to drink but his tongue was unable to lick it was as if it were paralyzed. The first vet had given him a derivative of milk thistle but the pill was too nasty to administer. When we took him to another emergency vet on Sunday 11/5/17 to be Euthanized it did not even take a full dose of sedative plus the euthanasia drug and he was gone that quick. We will never forget this horror, the look in his eyes begging for help nor will we ever forget chowder. He was a robust and lively cat before the Bravecto and the vet tried to say it was cancer. Well we will never really know but I am heartbroken and so is my mom.
Do not give bravecto to your babys. After giving the second dose one of my boxers started panting all the time we just thought maybe he was hot, or just being deuce. Then he started throwing up, diarrhea, acting confused slept a lot so I took him to the vet and they said it was an infection. We got home and he started having seizures and sensory problems, loud noises made him jump, touching him made him jump. So I took him back in that afternoon they did blood work and said he had lived failure. From time he started throwing up until he passed was four days. My other two dogs are showing side effects, like sneezing, a little trouble walking i am detoxing them now and will never give them anything else, I can’t bring deuce back but if just one person reads this and he saved one life then that’s better than none. This medicine is poison and you are killing your dog if you give it to them.
Has anyone experimented with using a partial tube of the drops on a cat? I’m wondering if the dosage may be so strong that the liver/pancreas can’t handle it all at once. Might be less damaging if given in small doses? I purchased it to use on my cats, but am now reluctant.
My 9 year old mastiff Bella had what the vet thought was skin bacteria. So she was given antibiotics and anti fungal shampoo. Then it didnt work for 2 weeks. So the vet again prescribed a stronger antibiotic, and also had her take a bravecto. He said in case it was demodex mange instead of folliculitis the Bravecto would work for the mange.
My dog suddenly died one morning. Gums were all white. Vet said she must have had organ failure to have lost so many red blood cells overnight.
I now think I figured out what happened. It was bravecto.
I am so devastated.
Oh, God, Steve, I’m so sorry for your loss. What was the timing between Bella taking the Bravecto and showing up pale and sick? Sounds like auto-immune disease.
Gave bravecto to my dog…and within the promised time frame…his flea and ticks were gone.
Thanks bravecto!
Wow, Vaden, within just a couple hours, they all died? Amazing. And the fact that your dog’s blood was the vehicle that carried the killing chemical to the fleas — no qualms about that?
Not even one qualm. That was 2 months ago and he’s doing great! 2 weeks ago I gave it to my cat as a preventative…and she too is doing awesome.
Thanks Bravecto!
I am in South Africa where we have extreme heat & extreme flea & tick problems for our pets. Mange is also a problem in hundreds of dogs rescued from our lower income areas. Bravecto is a life saver for these animals. I personally adopted a very small dog with severe mange & struggled with all sorts of dips, shampoos & lotions, then I heard of Bravecto & after one tablet he was a new dog & never suffered again. Mange is a terrible thing & the animal suffers terribly, so in many cases Bravecto is fantastic.
Both my cats had an immediate reaction after having the 12 week coverage Bravecto spot on flea treatment. My younger cat (7) started foaming at the mouth and throwing up. My older cat (14) had projectile vomiting. The vet was the one that administered it and he told us it shouldn’t matter if they get it into their mouth as it gets into their bloodstream anyway (idiot!). Meanwhile my older cat continued to be sick, started drinking large amounts of water to the point I had to keep refilling two bowls twice daily. She started losing weight and became very unsteady on her feet. This past weekend she suddenly crashed – stopped eating and drinking. So we took her back to the vets where she was weighed and given a rectal thermometer. She had lost half a kilo in a month after the Bravecto. She was running a temp of a 104 degrees. We had to keep her in overnight on IV drips and antiobiotics whilst waiting for her bloodwork to come back. Her bloodwork came back showing she has pancreatitis and now diabetes. I’m sure the pancreatitis was brought on by the flea treatment and the diabetes is brought on by the pancreatitis, it’s never the other way around. She has to remain on the IV drip for now until she’s well enough to be released and has to have insulin treatments twice daily. All because we trusted this product recommended by our vet!
Arggh, PJ. What a horrible outcome from a product sold to you as a wonder of prevention! My heart goes out to you and your kitties.
I switched my dogs to Bravecto from frontline when my son was born. 1.5 years later the first died from spleen cancer. A year later my second one has been diagnosed the same. They were 9 & 11 when diagnosed. Fed a healthy diet, few if any table scraps, and a healthy weight, annual physicals. I understand it isn’t an uncommon cancer for larger breeds, but for two dogs, both mutts three years apart in age, and within 2.5 years of receiving Bravecto to be diagnosed the same? Do your research.
I gave my 30lb dog bravecto yesterday for the first time after finding a tick and thousands of eggs in our bed. I wish I had read up on it first, but I was just frantically trying to rid us of ticks. Today she is lethargic, and I had to make her get out of bed to go outside this morning. Is there anything I can be giving her to negate the effects of the poison (bravecto) I gave her? Please help! I don’t want to see long term issues because of this either!
Hey TK, I’m sure you’re not alone, so I just made my Homeopathic Detox Report available, which you’ll see if you scroll back up the end of the article.
It walks you through how I’d be treating a patient of mine who landed in similar hot water like your gal. You should be able to put it to work for her today.
All the best.
Vet keeps insisting my dog is not sick because of Bravecto even though all her serious problems started the week after we gave it to her. She is 13 or 14 years old and had arthritis and a slight infection, which she got antibiotics for before we gave her the bravecto (I waited until all treatment was done even though I was told I did not need to wait).
She stopped eating and could barely be enticed to eat at all, even her favorite foods. She drank constantly, was very lethargic and lost 7 of her 25 pounds in a month! She was overweight but now is very skinny and she can barely get up and walk and looks awful. Eyes look awful too. Tests today showed she has pancreatitis and her lymph nodes are swollen — so Vet recommended hospital stay to get fluids and medication for pancreatitis and then once we get it under control to go to an oncologist for the lymph nodes.
I could not bear to leave her there in a cage alone at night, she seems close to death. They gave her fluids and shots of medicine and sent meds home with me with instructions for the next few days but we had to carry her into the house, she is not even wagging her tail.
I do not believe in coincidences — she had minor health issues before the bravecto and within a week of taking it has deteriorated so dramatically. Every time I brought up bravecto he deflected and said it didn’t cause pancreas or liver problems or lymphoma.
Gave my sweet girl (4 Yrs.) Bravecto two weeks ago. She has been vomiting and has diarrhea. Right after I gave her the first dose, she started to shake and drool. This has stopped for the time being. What really concerns me now is she is not eating (it’s been a day) and this is very unusual for her. She’s just laying down all the time now. I read about the side effects and that some dogs have died and I was filled with terror. I too her to the vet. I saw a vet tech, she explained to me that Bravecto was not a poison, just an antiparisitic. Said she gives it to her own dog and it was just fine. She sad it has been approved by the FDA and they don’t base their opinions on anything that would be posted on Google or facebook. I demanded my money back and said I would be looking for a hollistic vet. They did not care that they were losing a client..that was obvious. I’m still so scared my stomach is turning. If I lose her, I will sue Merck on a class action suit. I think the Big Pharma companies and the vets involved just want to pad their wallets and don’t give a rats ass about our beloved pets!
Do you know what a class action suit is?
they should take bravecto off the market because it killed my catwhen they put it on animal hospital of dauphin county did not care they said the cat was in good shap but die after putting bravecto and i also queastion about the safty of it all they woulded was more money.
I live in Florida, in an area that’s known for its heavy duty flea infestation. I got a taste of this when I first moved here with my sweet cat. It was a horror for her, she was ravaged. I tried EVERY single “natural” treatment, including the ones you mention above. None took care of the fleas. It was either let her suffer or try a vet’s spot on suggestion. I used Multi Advantage, and have been for 2 years now. It did the job. I HATE giving it to her, HATE IT, but unfortunately I don’t have a choice. Just here in the building I live in, folks’ animals are flea infested, they carry them everywhere (we used to have to document treatment but no more and too many people don’t take care of their animals). I feed her the most healthy foods, so she’s a strong girl, but I couldn’t just let her go on suffering with the fleas. I watch her closely for ANY side effects (I know there must be some, as the crap is poison) but haven’t noticed any changes with her. I went to the vet 2 weeks ago, for something unrelated to fleas, thought I’d pick up some Advantage since the time was close, and vet suggested Bravecto. The FIRST thing I asked, since it’s said to last so long, is about its SAFETY. I asked her directly, and she answered that ohhh she’s been using it for nearly a year and has had NO reports of side effects. I believed her, stupidly enough. I gave my cat the Bravecto. I have not noticed side effects (thank God), but I have noticed she’s exhibiting behavior manifested when she was flea infested – smelling the carpet, limiting her movement, etc. So not only have I maybe hurt her, the poison might not even work for flea prevention/treatment (the vet did find a flea on her).
Sorry to go on for so long, but I just wanted to speak for those of us who live in sub tropical/tropical environments and might not have the luxury of “natural” things working.
I also wanted to ask what I should do. Is there anything I can give her to avoid becoming ill from this stuff? If it hasn’t worked and she gets fleas all over her, what the heck do I do then??
I’m so sad for the folks who lost their animals, and for the sweet pets and people struggling now with the awful side effects. I’m certainly not surprised. Killer meds are given to humans, and animals, well, they’re considered PROPERTY, so why not use them as experiments for the latest pharma nightmare drugs they hope will pan out and sell?
I surely will never go to that vet again, for clearly misleading me, and/or simply being willfully ignorant and not doing the research she should be doing.
I blame myself, too. I thought it would be easier on her if I gave her something that would last longer so I wouldn’t have to bother her monthly, but I should NOT have started her on something new without my OWN research. I feel terrible about it, just like when she had such an awful flea infestation and I wasn’t even aware of it for a while. I was new to the area, had no idea it could get so bad, and she’s an indoor cat.
I feel her grain-free dry and not the healthiest but pretty good wet food. It’s the only one she’ll eat. I also give her a yeast/garlic powder in her food sometimes, but I’m not so sure yeast is okay for cats?, so I don’t do it all the time, just once a week or so.
Thanks for your time, and thanks Dr. Falconer for providing this forum.
Bless…
Hey Pamela,
Your timing is great, even as you cross your fingers and hope there’s not another “shoe to drop.” I share your concern, and I’m actually giving away my Homeopathic Detox Protocol as a bonus for those who buy my Spring Heartworm Special. That’s my ebook ( “Vital Animals Don’t Get Heartworms! The Drug-Free Prevention Program That Works”) and it’s audiobook version for the price of the book alone.
The Detox Protocol normally sells for $19, and the ebook + audiobook bundle is normally $79, but they are on special for the normal cost of the ebook alone, $47. That means you save $32 and get another $19 in value in the report.
And yes, it’s written in “dog language” as that’s the main species who get HW, but the principles apply equally to cats.
Anyway, you can find the deal on this page, but it ends at midnight TONIGHT (Tuesday, 2 May) so don’t delay.
All the best, and thanks for sharing your journey with us.
It makes your site a little shady that you’re selling your “treatments”. If you cared so much about these poor suffering animals, why not just offer the e-books for free?
We have this issue, as well, living in Texas. All four of our dogs got infested this summer, and our house ended up infested. We spent a small fortune getting rid of the fleas in the home and We tried “natural” remedies, none worked. Finally started topical, and that didn’t work at all, then got Bravecto. The fleas are dying, and none of my dogs seem to show any negative side effects (to-date). I was nervous before giving them meds.
I wish there was a “natural” alternative that worked, but we have not found one. The amount of money spent was excessive and I would not wish a flea infestation on anyone.
Dealing with the same! I had two cats and both are indoor cats. How fleas got on them from inside is a mystery! Tried everything under the sun natural to get of them. Infestation got so bad I was getting bitten all day everyday and both my cats health started to decline. Tried natural diamataceous earth, herbal collars, flea combs, everything them finally gave in to capstar and revolution which did nothing. I’m a huge believer in natural but I was having a nervous breakdown couldn’t even have my children in the home anymore. Had Orkin come spray which helped a lot and had to give up one cat to adoption. Couldn’t afford both cats care and treatment. Finally gave in to seeing a vet which I only see if my cat is ill or emergency. She gave her Bravecto and now I am
Scared to death. I feel like I was taken advantage of during a time of feeling vulnerable. My poor cat was so infested her hair was falling out amd covered with scabs amd wounds. Also has flea dermatitis badly. What can I do to help her now? I have ordered her probiotics. She gets high grade organic cat food and purified water. Will add the probiotics in! I only vaccinate maybe every three to four years on my animals and usually only rabies but because of the feral cat problem around my town and knowing my kitty does like to go out on the porch onc in awhile I got the other shot too! I feel like I lost my power and control after seeing this vet! Want to take back my power
My dog (a GSD) has been taking Braveto for 2 years. I have not noticed any side effects. We are in a heavily wooded area and have removed ticks weekly from a previous dog (a lab), and didn’t want to go through that again, because we suspect her illness was due to so many tick infestations. Your article is informative and has given us something to think about. We have found several dead ticks on her, and have been pleased to see proof that the product works, but no one wants a remedy to be toxic to their animals. May have to adjust our decision after your article.
https://www.facebook.com/lambchop1988/videos/10154417399323511/
Please don’t use Bravecto!
Teddy now suffers with these episodes on a regular basis since October when we started bravecto. Before this he was never ill!
He has been to the vets multiple times since October and even to a specialist vet where he had blood tests, ultrasound and ECG where they couldn’t find anything wrong.
He has had extremely low white blood cells and then extremely high red blood cells.
He will now be having a CT scan and endoscopy. This has cost thousands for something my vet recommended I give to my dog! ????
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/laura-berry
Laura, while I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with Teddy being so sick (arghh! in the name of prevention!), I’d strongly urge you to stop spending money on tests. You’d be wiser to spend now on cure, and that’s best accomplished by hiring a homeopathic vet. In the UK, my favorite is Sue Armstrong MRCVS. Odds are that, even if she’s not geographically near you, she can help you via phone appointments.
p.s. I saw on your crowd funding page a mention of ” homeopathic detox ” and I’m talking about something much deeper. With professional help, you’ll go much farther and faster to cure the whole of Teddy than any arm chair prescribing from someone who lacks training.
All the best and please keep us posted.
Please tell me good or bad about Seresto flea and tick collar. Also if my dog is just starting Apoquel and using Seresto collar and has in last couple years been on Sentinel Heartworm meds (I ran out in Nov and haven’t refilled yet) but I’m afraid to put him on and afraid not to. He has enviroñmental allergies and started on these new meds and I don’t know enough about Sentinel or Seresto as to how safe this is going to be for. Vet recommends all three and says she gives Apoquel to her dogs. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.
Unfortunately, the lies the drug companies tell are simply “advertising”. Humans seem to see rampant lie telling as an acceptable way of life. Why else would our politicians get away with everything they do? They get away with it because They R Us. No one cares that today everything is a lie; no one champions honesty and truth; only GREED matters.
Spot on my man!
It is true. . . .
This is such an important issue, the terrible side effects of toxins comprising man-made drugs. Cedar oil repels fleas and ticks much better and does no harm. Diatomaceous earth kills fleas externally and parasites internally, with no side effects. A small amount of garlic added to dog and cat meals also stops fleas from biting, and plain old vinegar is the best stuff yet. There is no need to fill the pockets of the evil drug companies who market their toxic crap as “safe” when clearly it’s not. Thank you Dr. Falconer for getting the word out about these dangerous products, and I am so sorry for those of you who found out too late, whose pets have already been damaged or killed. The pharmaceutical companies should have their immunity revoked and we should sue them into oblivion.
Indeed, Nora. And, I might add, that immunity to prosecution is, as far as I know, only to vaccine injury, so if you have damage from Bravecto, or Nexgard, or Apoquel or any other drug that’s a non-vaccine, have at it.
Odds are, you’ll find others with similar damage done and you could pool resources and maybe start a class action suit.
Just sayin’. Don’t write off the need to hold Big Pharma responsible and seek damages!
My vet wanted to give my German Shepherd an injection for fleas and ticks, we do live in an area where ticks are a problem. When he told me it would kill them when they bit her, I couldn’t see the benefit, mentioned that she would have this poison in her system — he became somewhat cold and distant. He had always been friendly and open with me. Same visit, I mentioned her itching and development of hives when she was last innoculated. He didn’t even check her skin or red irritated ears, just suggested fish oil added to her diet and using aloe for her hives.
I have since ceased her monthly heartworm and have no intention of further inoculations. I may need to find new vet.
Janet: I like the thought process you’ve taken here. And yes: why would you spend money at a vet who’s not supportive of your decisions to decline poisons for fleas or another round of shots in your girl? Especially since she’s warned you from the past round that she’s headed towards allergic skin disease, the #1 reason dogs see vets?
We started giving our two labs Nexguard early last year. The 12 year old has never shown any signs of side effects but my five year old boy had very slight seizures where he would walk really strangely for a couple of minutes, lie down then get up a few minutes later as though nothing had happened. I was putting it down to perhaps having just been bitten by an ant in the grass – til it happened and he hadn’t been outside for ages. He had his worse seizure on 2nd November which I recorded on my camera to show our vet which lasted 2.29 mins. He had another one the next day but not quite so severe. On 4th November I saw the FB page ‘Does Bravecto Kill Dogs’ and it made me wonder about Nexguard and I found a similar FB page. I rang my husband and asked him what date he had last given the pups their treatment – 1st November….. We took Clyde to the vet where he had blood samples taken and checked for various ailments – all came back clear. Our vet said he had never heard of any problems with Nexguard and in fact he encouraged my husband to try it out on Clyde again when I was overseas for 3 weeks!!! Needless to say my husband didn’t do so. We live in Queensland Australia where there is a problem with paralysis ticks so I am now paranoid and don’t know what to do for best….
My dog started having seziures after the 2nd dose of bravecto within a month.She would just collapse in the yard and have this episode for like 30-40 sec.I would manage afterwards to put her on her feet and gently bringing her inside the house where she would just breathe heavily and eventually fall asleep.
I was so scared, the vet said it couldn`t be from Bravecto, yet it was the only thing it changed.I also asked him how come is so safe Bravecto for her given the fact that she already had for over a year hepatic problems and getting treatment for hepatic disease.The answer was that it was well tolerated and noone ever complained and he also gave it to his own dogs and nothing happend.
Well I found the group online about it and it all clicked for me .It made perfect sense.I even called Merck and I reported the side effect.The woman on the line told me they never heard of seizures before, noone reported it before and is a safe medicine.However she noted my adverse effects and promsied to call me back with a case number.Well ,I called them back 3 times asking for a case number and they said they don t have one yet, they can t give me oneyet, soon, soon.It`s been almost 5 months and I still don`t have a case number.I guess that `s the whole point
However, I refused to feed my dog her usual kibble for heaptic diusease and I started to feed her a home made diet for hepatic disease.It`s been 5 months she is on this food and almost 3 months since she didn t have seizures anymore.
I will never ever give Bravecto to any of my dogs ever again.I have 2 other dogs and they were fine, only the 3rd one had the seizures.It is not worth taking the risk and giving this pesticide to your dogs.I experienced this first-hand.It`s heartbreaking to see your beloved pet struggling and not beiong able to do anything wondering if you get to spend another day with them or what is going to happen next.I blamed myself so much for giving Bravecto to my dogs.After I gave it to them the first time , I read some reviews on the internet from people and weren t good and I was scared, but then I asked the vet and he said is perfectly safe.So I trusted him, and my beloved girl got seizures.
It really infuriated me so much everything that happend and after I saw what other poeople went through with their pets it blows my mind that this pesticide is still out there on the market.Noone investigates it because they are big Pharma and they don t give a s*** about people s reports and don t give them case numbers because is not in their interest to report it to FDA or EMA.
Oh Ady,
Such a sad experience. It does speak to the nature of the drug (a neurotoxin, so isn’t seizure a neuro disease? You bet!). And, unfortunately, it speaks to the nature of Big Pharma: it’s all about more sales, more profits for shareholders, and a bottom line that keeps them happy.
Then, the whole idea of calling a drug that kills other organisms “perfectly safe” (your vet’s take on it, fed by the drug reps and the limited study on safety to get the Bravecto to market). I’d love to offer them a dose, if they feel so confident.
Glad you’re girl is slowly coming back to normal, and even more glad you’ll never go back to poisoning pests with drugs like this.
Wow I hope this is not how they keep reports low ????
I have heard so many times now that when people report they are told they never heard that before! I presume these people would not make this up but maybe in future when people report they should record the conversation. This also applies to the no cases reported in the UK only a few in the USA etc. Someone said my list of reports by Country must be incorrect as her vet had asked and there were no reports in Denmark when there are actually 48 reports 11 are deaths.
In the UK there are 284/35 deaths. USA 1544/439 deaths. Full list in files in Bravecto group and also list on reports by breed. These are taken from the European Medicines Agency and are almost two months out of date now so figures will sadly be even higher. Of course they are reports only and maybe many might not be caused by Bravecto but many are pretty conclusive and many evaluated cases are listed as probable or possible cause. As Elizabeth Carney explained conclusive scientific proof of any death seems impossible so far sadly.
Total reports on EMA as of 9th Jan 2017 are 3668 reports / 874 are deaths.
Wow, thanks for this, Jane. Can you provide a link to keep track of these sorry stats? Odds are, in the U.S., this is not easily found without filing a Freedom of Information Act request and waiting for months for the government to turn its wheels.
Same thing happened to us but our baby has not had a seizure in many months! So I’m hoping it’s all gone but I will NEVER EVER GIVE HIM ANOTHER INTERNAL FLEE KILLER!
I won’t give him anything new or different anymore! Heartworm & Rabies only from here on out!
Comfortis killed my Boxer just a few months ago. I knew this was a pesticide, and like many others, was told by our Vet that it’s safe. This new drug is no different. I shouldn’t be surprised that these doctors are passing these poisons off to humans and their pets. I was told that the stuff was safe and plant drives and is used on our fruits and vegetables. This stuff kills the guts of our pets. Mine never recovered.
I gave my 10 yr old perfectly healthy dog Nexgard for the first time on Nov 7th of 2016. On Nov 22 she started with loose stools and on Nov 23 I noticed her lymph nodes were enlarged. On Nov 25th she was diagnosed with Lymphoma. She is still with me right now but I am not sure for how long, I know it won’t be too much longer. I know deep down had I not given her that pill we wouldn’t be battling Lymphoma right now.
Don’t write her off yet! There’s still hope you can beat the lymphoma. My tiny cat was diagnosed with cancer over three years ago, and yet she is still with me. I have her on a dozen natural treatments that are very close to a “cure”. It would take a book to cover it all, but trust me, you can extend your beloved pet’s life using these natural methods. She was never subjected to radiation, surgery or chemo because those damage a living body beyond repair, in MHO.
Healing the gut is the key to beating cancer, and nutrition is critical because most “cancer patients” die of starvation, not the cancer. I have been force feeding my cat with a syringe every two hours for three years…yes it’s a lot of work and not everyone has the time to invest since most people have to work, but it can be done, absolutely. If you really love an animal, you’ll do anything to save it, gladly.
Same thing is going on with my dog, lymphoma. He is 11 so I thought it was just old age. My wife asked me to look up side effects of the bravecto we gave him 6 weeks ago.
Hi, I gave my dog Bravecto 3 weeks ago, immediately following a healthy vet check-up. 2 days ago she was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma, and I am panicking. What did you do when you got the diagnosis? Is your dog still battling the cancer?
Took my healthy 8 yr old Siamese cat to vet for nail trim and also flea meds,as I live in Florida and fleas are bad,even though my cat is indoors only,the vet applied Bravecto to my cat,saying it was the greatest thing since sliced bread! That it last 3 months,later that day I noticed my cat totally changed,he hid from me,was extremely lethargic,would not eat,drink,I had never seen him in that state,I called vet and was told it wasn’t a usual side effect from the Bravecto, and my cat must be the one who ultra armistice, I ended up taking him in and demanding IV fluids as he was so dehydrated, the vet then gave him a steroid shot,that night again my cat was not himself,I will never give my cat that poison or any shots again,he almost died, the vet never called or answered my numerous calls and messages,I will just feed,love and keep my cat at home safe
Sorry I meant to say ultra sensitive
How long till your cat was better. I gave it to my 18 month old cat yesterday, like a fool! Now he is just not himself. Eats drinks sleeps but not himself at all
I gave some to my 8 year old cat 3 days ago and he just is like not his usual self. Looks like he feels poopy, but is eating and drinking and such. Just not himself like you said! I honestly think because this is straight up poison. I can’t imagine how gross it must make him feel. Did you use the oral medication or did you get the kind that goes on the skin?
My lab mix has just been diagnosed with lymphoma and the only thing I have done differently was give him Nexguard.
co incidence is not proof of cause and effect. It might be a basis for suspicion, but proves absolutely nothing.
I do not know if the drug was responsible for the lymphoma, and neither to do you.
And I am not arguing that your conclusion is wrong or impossible, but my argument is that when more relevant data points are considered using the scientific method, the data does not support the conclusion of cause and effect, making that conclusion very unlikely.
I am sorry for your dog and your loss, as I have a very high affinity for nice dogs, and know the pain of loss.
However, the reported incidence of lymphoma appearing shortly after other doga took the drug is very very low, so that cause and effect which you seem to feel is proven, is actually not very likely.. This low reported incidence of this possible cause and effect, does Not prove anything about your dog, but if the drug caused your dogs disease, it is a very rare, thus unlikely event.
Applying scientific principles to the analysis of data often gets results which seems at odds with “common sense”, but conclusions based upon the scientific analysis are much more likely to be correct than the apparently obvious common sense conclusions.
None of these observations proves or disproves your conclusion that the drug caused the lymphoma, but if that occurred the available data supports the conclusion that effect is very rare.
Unfortunately, scientific analysis is a very conservative way to analyze info, and it is often slow, and often seems to give results which are different that the “obvious” but scientific analysis is much more likely to be correct, than jumping to the “obvious” conclusion with only a one or a few data points. Statistical analysis of the data and the way it is processed will give good information about the probability of a conclusion is justified by the data, but don’t bother in this situation as valid statistical analysis requires many more data points than the one you have noted in this situation, as the basis for your conclusion that this drug caused the lymphoma.
Sorry about your loss, but angst, pain about a co incidence are not a very good basis upon which to draw conclusions about the likelihood (probability) of cause and effect.
Good point, but here is another. Anecdotal evidence of admittedly rare events should be considered and weighed against any unique benefits. In other words, the risks of death, seizures, lymphoma etc though not proven yet are not a good trade-off when other acceptable management options exist. Given time and data, we will know; in the meanwhile it’s reasonable to avoid these drugs.
Thank you for the voice of reason in this exchange! I could also say “I fed my dog _______ brand dog for 15 years, and then he died!” Obvious cause and effect, right?
I don’t think anyone’s suggesting that exaggerated view, Megan. But how about a far more common one: “My dog gets sick around the same time each month?” And then, “I put two and two together and realized it was the time of the monthly poison pill?”
Exactly! Thankfully more and more “data points” are surfacing and educating folks to the dangers of these poisons in our animals. I have four dogs and tried other options but just could not stay on top of the fleas this year. It seems here in Tennessee this year is far worse then years past for both fleas and ticks. Im pissed at myself for blindly following a few recommendations given by friends and of course the added confidence of a vets prescription pad. Gave the recommended doses yesterday approximately 6pm and by 10 am today my 9 year old daschound has rear paralysis in her legs. also lethargic. i found this page searching for natural detox method. thank you for the information. I will be sure to submit my data point and pray my girl comes around.
On November 14 2016 I took my sweet, lively, healthy Shiba Inu to the vet for her yearly exam. Lucy has never had a flea or tick so never worried to treat her as we haven’t expiernced any problems. On this visit the vet highly recommended a treatment called ” Bravecto”. Little did I know at that time about this drug because I never treated my baby for fleas. Got home and feed Lucy and gave her the Bravecto- she spit it out- I picked it up and wrapped it in cheese and she ate it! Within 2 hours she was in a very deep sleep in the couch and I couldn’t wake her to go to bed that night. The next morning our nightmare began! Vomiting, seemed confused and dazed ” out of touch” loose stools while throwing up. Excess thirst. I went on google to research “Bravecto” and was horrified with my findings. I found the FB group called ” Does Bravecto Kill Dogs”. Thank GOd I did!! Now I was even more nervous but had info to share with my vet. Trip to the vet that morning and informed vet and even he was surprised at the turn in her health over night. At that time he informed me that he had a case before after the pet took Bravecto and informed me he would
Call Mersk which he did while I was there. I showed him info I pulled up on The FB group and he informed me that it has been approved by FDA and he then showed me that he had prescribed over 600 dosages and I was only the second to complain of complications. The next 4 days there was daily visits to the vet for hours at a time for IV for fluids and antibiotics at the same time blood work was drawn., I refused to let her stay overnight as there was no one overseeing her treatment during the night. I wanted her home with me to monitor… after the 5th day she was coming around but still not eating. She lost a lot of weight over 5 days. But she was coming around. I went back to the FB group and found info about dextoing and had seen several mention “Denamarin” for detoxin, I rang my Vet and asked for it and went to the office and started Lucy on it right away. We are going on 2 1/2 months and she has been on the Denamarin and continues to show improvement. Will visit the vet again on Feb 9th for follow up and more blood work. I don’t know what lays ahead for long term damage but I know for a fact this pesticide not only was the cause for my precious girl to suffer and still suffer but cost me so much more money than the actual dosage of Bravecto! Never will I ever give this to my baby and I have become the voice for my girl and I spread info that is posted on the FB page daily about this horrible treatment in hopes to reach someone before it is so late. I willl never forgive myself for not researching this before I forced it to be eaten by my girl burried in cheese!
Thank you for your post to help educate everyone of the dangers of this pesticide and I apologize for the length of this email.
Shirley, that’s a long time sick (and a lot of expense, as you point out) all to prevent a problem that Lucy never had in the first place, isn’t it?
Such is the state of marketing, and why it’s ever so important to keep on your toes and share your story like you have. Bravo.
Becoming the advocate of your girl is so, so important. That’s my hope for all who read this website. If not you, who is best suited to be in this role? Certainly not your vet or Big Pharma, as you’ve experienced first hand. You alone have to be well informed and call the shots (in more ways than one).
My baby had seizures for 8 months after one dose of this disgusting Crap! NEVER AGAIN!
Did the seizures stop? I gave my 18 month old aussie bravecto in May and she is having seizures still, about once every week to 2 weeks. So sad.
My little Mggie, 2 years old had a massive seizure just a 2 or 3 days after given Bravecto. I thought she was dead for sure after I watched her bang and twist her little body against everything in the kitchen. When she stopped, I scooped her up and went the to emergency room. She spent the night there but had had another couple seizures there as well, and evidently they had no clue what to do about it. We took her straight to our regular vet where she had more seizures. I don’t know what they gave her, but we took her home that night and planned to take her back the next day. She had a seizure every hour during the late afternoon and night. Mostly, she would gaze into nothingness and then just fall over, again and again. My vet said they were at a loss, so we took her the a Animal hospital in Greenville SC. It was only an hour away and she didn’t have a seizure during the trip, but did as soon as we got there, And they called us after we left to let us know that she had another one. We were desperate and felt hopeless. I would have stayed with her if they had let me. She was assigned a neurologist I gave permission for neuro exam, sedation for IV catherter placement, general anestesia, Mri, spinal tap , hospitalization and treatment for cluster seizure activity and anything was needed.
She was in the Hospital for about a week. I was able to visit her once (their schedule) and the poor baby had a cone around her head. Evidently , she did not cooperate with anything they did or even eating. Nevertheless, she returned home after they gave her a larger dose of Versad to stop the pattern of the seizures, otherwise it would be imprinted in her brain and she would never be able to stop. Not the medical terminology the Doctor used. Maggie came home with a couple of different medications, Phenobarbital 15 mg twice a day and Keppra 250mg 1/2 a tablet 3 times a day. It was overwhelming to get her to take meds that many times a day. Plus right after she got home, she had a very high temperature so I took her to my regular vet and she was given an antibiotic I think. She got to the point that she wouldn’t eat and would run from me. I tried to hide all of her pills in food, tuna, spam, pill pockets, salmon, hotdogs, every kind of cat food and treats on the market. I think I counted over 60 different food items. She might eat it once, but not twice. I then had to take her in for an appetite enhancer, twice. Finally, I got her meds in liquid form and that worked for a few days. I decided on my own to cut the keppra (3 doses daily) This became somewhat manageable but she would still fight me and at one point, I ended up squirting the medicine into her eye by mistake. Back to the vet, with more medicine to take. After at least two months, I spoke with the vet, and told her how difficult the whole thing was for Maggie. She said that if it was the Bravecto that caused the seizures, It would most likely be out of her system. I took her off Phenobarbital and we have not looked back. She never had a seizure after leaving the Animal Hospital in Greenville and has not had one since. Almost a year and a half.
I went to the right place at the right time and saw the right doctor and it saved my baby. The total cost was over $5000, the best money I ever spent. I thought about it and was sadden that a lot of pet owners would not be able to afford that, or would not have a top rated animal hospital that was close by and I feel so sorry for them.
DON’T GIVE YOUR PETS BRAVECTO! It may not affect your pet at all or it may kill them.
I cannot prove it, but I know that’s what did it.
I am so grateful to my vet, the amazing Doctor at the Greenville Hospital, and most of all to God. Did I mentioned that I prayed every single day that Maggie would survive.
My 11 year old cat was having a real big issue with flea dermatitis, to the point I had to keep him shaved so I could keep Aquaphor on his back. They were literally eating him alive. Not having the money to take him to a vet, a friend saw it and paid for my furbaby to be treated. The vet treated him with Bravecto. This was in June and mind you, they weighed him in at almost 20lbs. Here it is July and I’ve noticed he looks to me as if he’s lost weight, he drinks excessively, not eating as usual, has had diarrhea, usually staying on a rug in the bathroom. I noticed it only started since he was treated at the vet. So, today something told me Google Bravecto and OMG, now I’m scared I’m going to lose him. I don’t have the money or transportation to take him back to the vet. Is there anything I can do for him at home?
Hey Talinda,
An 11 year old cat who was obese, then intoxicated and now is loosing weight, inactive and has diarrhea and excess thirst? I’d run, don’t walk, to a good homeopathic vet or you’ll likely lose this guy. Nothing about this is “wait and see” or “DIY.” Here’s where you can find one, regardless of distance: vitalanimal.com/diagnosis-or-cure/
My Cat has flea dermatitis. He is my entire World. Never had fleas before. I had to move in with some friends after my Chemo, as I could not work or pay my rent. That’s another story. My cat got fleas, from their cats. But mine is the only one that would literally scratch himself crazy. I thought I was going to have a breakdown.
My vet recommended frontline. Did not work well. I will get to the point. My cat has scabs from scratching. He is not the same happy cat.
I gave him capstar, and he just went crazy. Please tell me what I can do to get rid of these fleas on him. I don’t want to keep poisoning him.
He has raw spots. And I am afraid to keep giving him flea treatment. Wish I could talk to you in person. I am just sick over this. What would you suggest I do. He is long haired. He is so sick of me combing him. What can I do that won’t make him sick.thank you.
Cats are the most sensitive creatures I know for poisons. Here’s a better path: https://vitalanimal.com/non-toxic-flea-control/
my cat to the same thing she is dieing i say because bravecto the vet put on
I just lost my baby in August 22,2018.I gave him the correct dose for his weight, Around 8-10 pounds. A couple weeks later I had him to the vet, he had a mast cell tumor on his right hind leg. The vet took x-ray and said to leave it alone it was cancer. He was healthy and around 11-12 yes. Old. Never sick a day in his life. This baby suffered even though we were giving his m pain meds and benedryl that was supposed to help this cancer. He lost down to nothing, no eating but could not get enough water to drink, he would drink and then throw all of it right back up. My heart is broken he was my constant companion for 13years, always where I was. I don’t know what else to say but if this bravecto caused him to die, they need to be held accountable for thief product. If anyone else has ant accounts if this please let me know, this product needs to be off of the market. I had always given him a different flea pill and never had any problems at all. I’m disabled and home bound, this hits my heart so hard. He was a yorkie pappillion mix, there will never be another one like him.
I’m so sorry for your experience. I’d just like to suggest that you request the costs back from Bravecto though. It’s their drug that made your dog ill. It isn’t publicised in their information. So they should be taking the responsibility.
I just lost my dog from heart failure that began after I gave him Bravecto and then heart worm meds at a new vets insistence. She discounted all of my concerns about his autoimmune condition and I was confused and didn’t know what to do. She painted a dire picture of all the things he might get. Now I wish I had listened to my instincts. When he started to fail I couldn’t get him in to see this same vet and another vet tried to save him. Some vets are all about pushing product and others actually care. Anyway the whole thing is utterly heart breaking. He was my best friend.
I felt compelled to say so sorry for your loss. My 3 yo Siberian boy was just diagnosed with heart disease. Very high liver enzymes too.it was all so sudden………….. I just realized the bld testing was done the day after I applied FrontlinePlus.
I also user Heartgard Plus. My DVM really pushed the Nexgard.as did his staff.
Really try to do what’s best for my guys ………..
So sad for your loss.
Great article. Please just edit Merial don’t make Bravecto Merck do. Merial make Nexgard another in same class. The latest addition is Simparica made by Zoetis. All three are in same class of new Isoxylines.
Merial = Merck, Jane, hence the interchange. Thanks.
They did have some affiliation in 1997 but in 2009 made this announcement.
“We’ve done great things in the past. Today, we’re doing great things for the future.
Merck Sharp & Dohme and Schering-Plough merged in 2009 to create a new company known as Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA in the USA and Canada and MSD in the rest of the world including the UK. Today, we are the second largest.”pharmaceutical company in the world.
MSD / Merck produce Bravecto and Merial Nexgard. The latest addition to this worrying class of Isoxylines is Simparica made by Zoetis. Nexgard is reportedly causing very similar adverse reactions as Bravecto in fact on the last two FDA reports Dr Elizabeth Carney received seizure reports were double those of Bravecto. Both Nexgard and Simparica come with seizure warning yet Bravecto still has not got one added to the oral in spite of the statement on the new spot on version that the ingredient Fluralaner can cause seizures in both dogs and cats even those with no previous history of seizures!
We are devastated. Our vet recommended Bravecto for my 11 year old Golden Retriever with Cushing’s Disease. We live in Florida where fleas are very hard to control and the itching was horrible. He assured me this was not toxic like Comfortis. One day after taking Bravecto she lost her appetite and was eating lots of grass. Then she had loose stools and loss of mobility. Three days later she collapsed and died, with blood drops coming out of her anus. PLEASE don’t give this to your pets!