Comments on Bravecto: Prevention or Killer? How does bravecto work?

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 is the end of 2022... How are the dogs doing now?

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

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.