Banamine after foaling

[Relic]

l give right after the foal arrives. Some mares l'm sure don't seem to look like they need it but some can hide things better then others not unlike people l would think..so for me l give a dose regardless just for peace of mind. l buy the tube of Banamine paste and always have the little powder one dose Flunixin packets which is the same thing but needs to be mixed with water a packet is 3 doses for a mini...find it really handy to take a packet to shows instead of a large tube..l've never had a problem getting a vet to sell to us here in Alberta..to me it's just a must have thing to have on hand..

 

[Sue_C.]

Absolutely yes, after the foal is born, and while the mare is still down...sure beats having to get in and rescue a foal from being trampled or worse by a thrashing mare...and that I have seen. Not a mini either...but one of my appaloosa mares. Trust me, it is a lot easier to get it done BEFORE they start to "colic" from the pain.

As for this statement, "I have it on hand but I wouldn't just give it unless I noticed obvious signs of pain", you are doing a great dis-service to your more stalwart mares. Just because they don't show the pain, doesn't mean they aren't FEELING it. Tis but a small-small thing, and makes a huge difference.

 

[Jill]

I would consider not giving banamine IM - rather give it orally. I always give a dose of Gastro Gard right along with it to protect the stomach.

I think this is good advice. I have been giving injectable banamine orally for many years, based on advice I got here. Then a few or so years ago, our vets made a point of letting clients know that they also recommend NOT giving it IM, but orally, because they have so many issues with abscesses. In fact, a year or two ago when a vet was out for "well baby" on a new foal, she mentioned her next stop was to treat a horse w/ an abscess and that she hates it when people give the injectable banamine IM vs. orally...

We buy a bottle of the injectable because it is much more economical than the paste and a lot easier to dose properly. It always expires before we use it all, but really -- that's how you want it to be! It's a great product to have on hand.

The gastroguard or ulcerguard dosed with it is also an excellent practice in my opinion, especially if the horse has not recently eaten and has an empty stomach.

 

[Matt73]

Good to know. Thanks. I've always given it IM and have never had an issue (although I haven't given it that often...). But if it works just as well giving it orally, I'll do that from now on. So you just squirt in at the back of the tongue? It must not taste very good

 

[Jill]

Yes, just in the back of the mouth. I know it doesn't taste good, but think it's better than feeling bad... I follow it up post-foaling with Ivermectin and the kind we use is apple flavored gel (called Bimectin). The horses actually love that dewormer and beg for it like it's cookies so I think that helps erase the nasty taste. Also, now I don't remember if it's gastroguard or ulcerguard that I keep on hand, but it smells strongly of Cinnamon so I think that must taste pretty nice if you want to give that, too (I do sometimes and think it's a good idea).

PS - I've been taking lots of Nyquil the past week and a half and that stuff is WAY nasty but the benefits outway the yucky taste

 

[Matt73]

Yep I, too, always worm within 12 hours of foaling. Thanks, Jill

 

[Miniv]

Matt.... Just to clarify our "steps".......

We give our mares the liquid Banamine orally, liquid Ivermection, and then quickly give them a dish of grain which helps take the icky taste out of their mouths.

By doing all of this very quickly as soon as the foal is born - often before it's even standing, it helps the mare in many ways, plus gives the foal some extra time to locate the milk bar.

When both Larry and I are home when a birth happens, people who are watching laugh because we have specific steps and we work together as a team running back and forth for the gentle iodine/Banamine/wormer/grain/baby blanket/feeding the foal it's first bit of colostrum/enema for foal........We've done it so much (approx. 200 foals) that we definitely have a system.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Yes but I like to make sure that the placenta has been passed. Most of mine came out rather quickly. I also worm the mare with Ivermectrin as well.

 

[copperwood farm]

I came from a big horse world, and it was not 'protocol' to give banamine. ( although I would give tit to all mares now)..but the minis are so different in so many ways. I always give them banamine, again the injectable orally.

I get a bottle from my vet, to keep on hand for emergencies......if your vet won't give it to you, I would find a different vet, at least to get 'supplies' from....or they are live beside you!!!!

 

[Miniv]

Yes but I like to make sure that the placenta has been passed. Most of mine came out rather quickly. I also worm the mare with Ivermectrin as well.

In 20 years we've never had giving Banamine slow down the passing of the placenta. The contractions are set in place and it's part of bringing the uterus back down to normal size.

 

[Getitia]

We too give banamine immediately after foaling to all mares - as well as immediately deworm. To date(knock on wood)we have never had a retained placenta.

 

[REO]

We also give banamine to the mare......just for the reasons previously given.

We also worm the mare and give her a grain mash.... It's all part of our step by step process. The mare stays on her feet and the newborn is given some time to hunt for groceries.

(We also hand feed the foal a little to jump-start it.)

Same here! Except I feed them her regular feed instead of mash. But I understand why the mash. I may try that!

I think that even if a mare doesn't show pain, she has to feel pain. She just gave birth! I give the Banamine orally.

 

[RockRiverTiff]

Yes to the banamine, yes to the wormer, and now thanks to this thread I will be asking our vet what she thinks of giving gastroguard at the same time. I would give the mares a hoof rub if I thought it would help. They carry those babies for 11 months and then deliver all that work in mere minutes - they deserve whatever comfort I can give them for a job well done.

 

[Matt73]

"Have you ever had a baby?". Someone asked me this on the other thread. Well, no, but I can tell you that if I passed a watermelon out of my penis and then after the fact someone gave me a percocet, I'd be mighty ticked off lol. If you're going to compare a mare to a human, I can tell you that contractions and pushing a baby out of your vagina are a heck of a lot more painful than having the uterus shrink back to size. That is from talking to a lot of women and being present at one birth. I haven't known any one to be offered pain killers after giving birth. What they do do is provide an epidural analgesia during labour and delivery which, essentially, blocks transmission of signals through nerves in the spinal cord.

lol

 

[wcr]

Matt you crack me up. I have treated many men passing a kidney stone which I'm told is similar to a woman giving birth, and they were grateful for pain meds at any point in the process. Much less passing a watermelon?!!!

Let's look at Banamine in layman's terms. It is similar in action and properties to Ibuprofen. It is not a narcotic. I think it is perfectly reasonable that if I had a baby (heaven forbid) I would at least be given an ibuprofen to make me comfortable.

 

[Matt73]

 

[debsminis]

Just curious.....I had my vet out yesterday to do a mare & foal check....I asked her about giving Banamine to mare....and she said never, that it goes straight to foal????

I am puzzled....

 

[Jill]

@ Matt

 

[Matt73]

Just curious.....I had my vet out yesterday to do a mare & foal check....I asked her about giving Banamine to mare....and she said never, that it goes straight to foal????

I am puzzled....

They're talking about giving it to the mare after she foals

 

[Sue_C.]

"Have you ever had a baby?". Someone asked me this on the other thread. Well, no, but I can tell you that if I passed a watermelon out of my penis and then after the fact someone gave me a percocet, I'd be mighty ticked off lol. If you're going to compare a mare to a human, I can tell you that contractions and pushing a baby out of your vagina are a heck of a lot more painful than having the uterus shrink back to size. That is from talking to a lot of women and being present at one birth. I haven't known any one to be offered pain killers after giving birth. What they do do is provide an epidural analgesia during labour and delivery which, essentially, blocks transmission of signals through nerves in the spinal cord.

lol

All I can tell you is from my own experiences, once with an Appaloosa mare, and another with a mini. While it IS easier to get into a stall with a thrashing mini mare, than it was with the 1000+ Appaloosa, to get that foal out of harm's way...it certainly isn't something I relish having to do again...and if a simple little poke in the butt will make that mare comfy...whether SHE needs it or not...what a small-small price to pay, wouldn't you think???