Page 27 - Canada Spring 2021

EQUINE HEALTH
But Banamine is the one we are most aware of (since it seems to be most often associated with reactions), and it doesn’t matter how well you give the injection; there is always a risk. Clostridial bacteria may already be in the horse’s body in spore form, just waiting for something to set
up the right environment (such as damaged tissue from the injection),” he says.
Irritation from the drug can cause part of that muscle to die. Normally this is not a big deal, but it can set up an anaerobic environment which enables clostridia to thrive. It’s not the bacteria themselves that cause
the problem; it’s the toxin that they secrete. When they multiply, they produce toxins that damage the surrounding tissue even more and produce gas. You can feel air bubbles under the skin – crinkly like bubble wrap.
“I have some slides taken many years ago of a horse I treated in 1989 for a clostridial infection following vaccination. He survived, but was disfigured from the infection and was just used as a lesson horse after that,”
says Randall.
“With Banamine or any of the
generic flunixin products, the only way to minimize the risk is to give it orally or IV, and never in the muscle. It does have an
This horse with clostridial myositis was first given antibiotics, his hind leg was clipped from hock to croup, and 8-12 inch long incisions were made to start drainage and to let oxygen in and gas out. The horse eventually sluffed an area along his left thigh and was left with a hole where the muscle was gone.
intramuscular label on the bottle [stating that it can be given either IV or IM] though there is also a warning about possible adverse reactions when given IM, which include clostridial infection.” This drug is safest to give orally, but works fastest if given IV.
“When people are giving injections of any kind, the number one thing
is to be clean. Don’t inject into a
dirty area on the neck or buttocks. We used to use alcohol, but it really doesn’t do much good (it’s not a very good disinfectant),” he says. If you use alcohol, let the area dry again before injecting; a needle going through wet skin and hair is more likely to take dirt/bacteria with it.
“Use a sterile needle, a new syringe and choose a clean spot on the horse. That’s about all you can do to try to prevent problems. If you notice swelling later or
if the horse is not doing as well you’d expect, get veterinary help – the sooner the better. Load that horse in a trailer and take him to the vet, rather than calling and waiting for the vet to come to you,” says Randall.
“The horse I treated for clostridial myositis in 1989 received a vaccination. He was not very good about injections, and the owner gave it to him in the hindquarter (but not in the best location). This horse also had a
“To avoid risk for this kind of infection, flunixin products like Banamine should never be injected into the muscle.”
SPEEDHORSE CANADA Spring 2021 27