Calf Talk

December, 2004

Volume 10, No.12

BANAMINE IS BACK AND COMPETITIVE

By: Russ Schnepper, D.V.M.

Banamine is back on the market after being gone for several months. Now it is back and priced competitively with the generic forms. Banamine now has a dairy clearance. Banamine has a 36 hours withhold on milk and four days withdrawal in the meat. I use a 10-day withdrawal in veal calves. Only Banamine has the dairy claim. Generic products do not.

It is very important to respect the withdrawal times. I know that Banamine can make a lame and/or slow calf walk on the truck. But if you use Banamine at this point, a residue will result and you will have severe and costly problems with your subsequent shipments.

Banamine works by lowering the calf’s fever, and controlling the inflammation of endotoxemia. Banamine is four times as potent at relieving pain as “bute,” which is now illegal in food animals. Banamine makes the calf feel better and then he usually eats better. If a sick calf will eat, it has a better chance of making a rapid recovery from its illness.

Antibiotics kill the bacteria that cause illness and Banamine saves the lung. Schering has good studies that show calves with bovine respiratory disease have fewer lung lesions when treated with Banamine, along with the antibiotic. Calves with less lung damage eat better and are more efficient gainers, being more profitable for the owner.

Banamine is safe. It does not cause abortion at any stage of pregnancy. Banamine given at five times dosage for nine days caused no adverse reaction in cattle. There is no point in overdosing Banamine. One to two ml per 100# of calf is adequate dosage.

Care should be taken if you are treating an animal that has kidney damage or a stomach ulcer. There can be renal (kidney) toxicity. Discontinue the use of the Banamine if you observe blood in the urine, or digested blood (black, tarry) in the feces. I have not personally recognized a toxic problem following the use of Banamine.

Dexamethasone has been used in places where Banamine is now my preferred drug. The undesirable effect of the dexamethasone is the suppression of the immune system. I have observed many calf raisers using dexamethasone, as it keeps the calf eating and he is bright. However, the following week you are in trouble, as the immune system has been compromised and now you probably have a full blown, non responsive pneumonia. Banamine does not have a detrimental effect on the immune system.

Do not neglect selenium in a sick calf. If the calf is selenium deficient, the immune system cannot function effectively. If it has been more than 10 days since the calf has had an injection of selenium, I inject selenium and Vitamin E as part of the treatment.

Contact information for ordering information and questions about our products:

Schnepper International, Inc.

3210 County B, Platteville, WI 53818

608-348-6141, Fax: 608-348-6146