SOFT-TISSUE TRAUMA
Banjo came up lame after a muddy spring trail ride. The puffy, tender swelling on the back of his cannon bone suggested a strained tendon, which an ultrasound confirmed. The large pony was going to need treatment, rest and careful rehabilitation to ensure the tendon healed completely and avoid the risk of reinjury. In addition to cold hosing and confinement in a small paddock, one particular NSAID could be helpful.
Banamine isn’t just for colic. Because it targets soft tissue with its anti-inflammatory action, it’s also a good choice for lameness caused by injuries to tendons, muscles or ligaments. Again, the goal is twofold: control the horse’s pain, but also keep in check the inflammatory processes that can impede healing.
I’ll generally have the owner deliver dosages via paste. I wanted to reevaluate Banjo’s leg in a week, so to prevent Banamine from masking any pain we administered it for only five days. After an ultrasound we determined he injured his tendon significantly. He would need a lot of time off and controlled rehabilitation. Trail riding would have to wait until next spring.
Beyond athletic injuries, I’ll often reach for Banamine in other cases of soft-tissue trauma. For instance, after I’ve sutured a large wound, I might give the horse an injection of Banamine and have the owner give a few doses of paste over the coming days.
I don’t like to leave a horse on Banamine for more than five days. Not only are there risks of side effects, but it can get expensive. That said, I will prescribe a longer Banamine regimen to treat eye conditions, such as chronic uveitis. Controlling pain can be difficult in these cases, so if Banamine works, we’re going to want to keep using it. We will just watch the horse closely and perhaps protect against ulcers with a preventive treatment of UlcerGard.
One more note about Banamine: It’s my first choice when treating nursing mares for any type of inflammation, be it systemic, soft tissue or even bonerelated. Pharmacological studies have shown that there’s less chance of this NSAID being passed to the foal through nursing than others. Since young foals can have ulcer problems to begin with, administering an NSAID to the mother can kick off some serious problems. When treating a nursing mare with Banamine, I’d follow the typical dosing guidelines but then watch both mare and foal for signs of adverse effects.