The food animal industry has been a little behind the times on pain control in food animals but it is not the producers’ fault as for years there was no pain medication approved for use in them.  Banamine injectable has been approved for use in cattle for the control of fever associated with bovine respiratory disease, endotoxemia and acute bovine mastitis.  Meloxicam has also been used in food animals for pain control but it was used off label.  Recently, a new product called Banamine Transdermal was introduced by Merck and is approved by the FDA for pain associated with foot rot and fever associated with respiratory disease.  The advantage is that the product is available as a pour on, which eliminates the need for an intravenous injection and that is easier on the cattle and the ranch workers and saves time.  Dr. Scott Nordstrom with Merck indicates the product is absorbed into the blood stream in minutes and has a long duration of activity at the site of inflammation.  Studies showed that the majority of cattle had at least a two-degree drop in temperature within six hours of treatment, which gets them eating and drinking sooner.  Also, over 90 percent of the cattle with foot rot had improved lameness scores after treatment.  And since it is a pour on, it also eliminates injection site lesions.  

The drug cannot be used within 48 hours of expected calving and cattle cannot be slaughtered within eight days of the last treatment.  Also, it cannot be used in dairy cows 20 months of age or older or in suckling beef calves, dairy calves and veal calves.  It is also not intended for use in dairy or beef bulls for breeding because reproductive safety has not been tested.  So be sure and read the label and check with your vet about using this new anti-inflammatory correctly.