Quick facts
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If possible, give banamine by mouth or have your veterinarian give it in the vein.
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Injections in the muscle can cause serious infection.
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Watch for signs of gas and swelling under the skin and for signs of depression and colic.
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Treatment includes antibiotics and surgery.
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Call your veterinarian right away if you suspect signs of infection.
What is Banamine?
Banamine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent that relieves pain, swelling and fever in horses.
Banamine comes in two forms: injectable and oral. Veterinarians routinely use the injectable form in the vein (IV). Horse owners may have oral and injectable banamine on hand to relieve pain. Owners must know the risks of giving banamine or other medications in the muscle (IM).
Muscle damage and infection
Many drugs can cause muscle damage when injected:
Banamine
Ivermectin
Progesterone
Anti-histamines
Phenylbutazone
Dipyrone
Vitamin B complex
Synthetic prostaglandins
This usually causes few problems. But, spores of bacteria (Clostridium) can rest in healthy muscle and start to grow if the muscle gets damaged. This growth can cause Clostridial myositis, a serious and sometimes fatal infection.
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Swollen and crunchy areas of gas under the skin at the site of IM injection.
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This occurs within 6 to 72 hours from the start of bacterial infection.
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As bacterial toxins go into the bloodstream, horses quickly become very ill with signs of:
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Depression
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Colic
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Purple gums
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Not wanting to move
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Veterinarians can diagnose Clostridial myositis by:
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Identifying gas from Clostridia in the damaged muscle through ultrasound
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Examining fluid for bacteria
It’s important to catch and treat Clostridial myositis early and aggressively to decrease deaths.
Treatment includes antibiotics such as penicillin, given in the vein, and oral metronidazole. Veterinarians perform surgery as well to open and clean affected areas. Between 31 and 73 percent of horses survive Clostridial myositis but it may take months for the skin and muscle to heal.
The risks of Clostridial myositis are relatively low. If possible, always give banamine by mouth or have your veterinarian give the drug IV.
If you give any IM injection, watch
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The area for signs of swelling and gas pockets under the skin
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The horse for fever or depression
Call your veterinarian right away if you notice these signs.
Reviewed in 2023