Phenylbutazone or flunixin meglumine? You may know these mouthfuls as Bute or Banamine. Now Banamine is a trademarked name of flunixin meglumine that Merck produces, but it’s also an example of trademark erosion, just like Kleenex, Chapstick or Sharpie. It’s the name almost every horse person knows, so for the sake of my tired fingers, I will be referring to flunixin meglumine as Banamine for the remainder of the article.
NSAID
Both Bute and Banamine are classified as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs for short. What the heck does that mean? Just that they relieve pain and reduce inflammation and are not a steroid. These two drugs are used most commonly as pain medication for horses, but you might also recognize Equioxx, Ketofen and Surpass as other NSAIDs. So, what’s the difference? Why pick one over the other? Often in a show barn, either one or the other will be used, but not both. This comes down to preference of the trainer.
But it also makes life easier to use the same NSAID for the whole barn. Why? Well, for example, say you’re making grain, and your barn has both Bute and Banamine powder, and the horses receive one or the other. What if on accident a horse that was supposed to get his second dose of Bute powder that night instead gets a scoop of Banamine? So now that horse has two NSAIDs in its system, and it’s showing the following morning. According to the drug rules for USEF, this is illegal. Having all the horses on the same NSAID prevents situations like this from occurring.
In the HorseGrooms Community, I break down the following:
- Phenylbutazone (Bute)
a. What to use it for
b. Concerns with extended use - Flunixin Meglumine (Banamine)
a. What to use it for
b. Concerns with extended use - How to Give
a. Forms of the drugs
b. What NEVER to do - Always Remember
See what you are missing when you don’t join the HorseGrooms Community.
Sign up for free to take full advantage of Laura Elser’s article detailing when and how to use Bute and Banamine.
Hey there! A New England native, I’ve been hopping around the country since 2012, always doing something horse-related (only 4 more states to go!). A 2016 University of Findlay grad, turned vet tech, turned cowgirl, and back to vet tech. In between college years, I interned with professional western riders across the country, and learned the ins and outs of being a groom (or a saddler as they call it). After graduation, I tried my hand at assisting the veterinarians on farm calls, and quickly became addicted to Florida weather during the winters. I did take a 3-year hiatus to go be a cowgirl out in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming, but now I’m back in Wellington enjoying my 5th WEF circuit.
