Banamine Paste Discount

Acupuncture for Horses? One Skeptical Owner Is Won Over

Did you know that acupuncture is available to horse owners for their equine friends? It has been for many years, but is becoming more popular these days. It seems to me that more and more people I know are moving away from traditional medicine and going toward holistic therapies, and many are also including their animals in that movement. 

Personally, I believe that acupuncture can work in some circumstances; maybe not all, but some. Here’s my experience with the less traditional therapy for horses:

Some years ago, Jane became “cast” in a fence (stuck in a lying position under a fence). It happens to horses from time to time as they lie napping and move around, or if they are rolling in the dirt and get too close to the fencing and end up underneath it.

We were able to get her out from under the fence without much drama. Later she was sore and it was hard for her to move around, but the next day was awful. She wouldn’t even move when it was feeding time. She was in so much pain that she just stood there with her head hung low, so I moved her food to her and went to the barn to grab some pain relievers for her. 

Horse people always have a first aid kit in the barn for the equines that cohabitate our lives. Wraps of every sort, oils, sprays, gauze, ointments, liniments and, of course, pain medications like Banamine paste (a potent non-narcotic, non-steroidal analgesic agent with anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing abilities) and bute tablets or powder ( phenylbutazone —a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory for the treatment of chronic pain, including the symptoms of arthritis). 

Having a horse in pain is very stressful for the animal and the owner alike. 

Calling a vet at 9:00 p.m. is very expensive. Why is it that our horses always require a vet after 5:00 p.m., on weekends or holidays? Don’t answer that—I know it’s because that’s when we are with them to notice that they need a vet.

On that evening, after being stuck in the fence, all I gave Jane was bute. It didn’t seem to help at all. The next day I tried banamine, which also appeared to have done nothing. I felt her body for swelling and heat all over, especially her back and hips. There was nothing obvious, but that may have been due to the meds I’d given her since they have anti-inflammatory properties.

I rubbed along her spine, gently but firmly, and at her hip – aha! There it was. She flinched so hard her legs buckled, kind of like when someone pushes that certain part in the middle of your back and you nearly double backward in response. Thankfully she didn’t fall over. Definitely time to call my vet.

Modern veterinary practice

Veterinary Disaster Response

101 Veterinary Tips for Horse Owners, Health Care and Problem Prevention

Horse showing for kids, everything a young rider needs to know to prepare, train, and compete in English or Western events : plus, getting-ready checklists and show diary pages

The Complete Trail Horse, Selecting, Training, and Enjoying Your Horse in the Backcountry