Anti-inflammatories & pain control · Prescription (Rx)
Banamine withdrawal time for cattle
flunixin meglumine — Generics: Flunixamine, Prevail; also Banamine Transdermal pour-on. Used for fever and inflammation with BRD, endotoxemia, and pain control.
Slaughter withdrawal
8 days
transdermal; 4 days for IV injection — IM is illegal-adjacent extra-label use
| Route / formulation | Slaughter withdrawal | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Intravenous injection (the ONLY labeled injection route) | 4 days | |
| Transdermal pour-on (Banamine Transdermal) | 8 days | |
| IM or SQ injection | No U.S. label | Extra-label — the leading cause of flunixin residue violations; vet must set a much longer interval |
Milk & dairy: Milk withhold: 36 hours (IV) / 48 hours (transdermal). Transdermal is not for replacement dairy heifers 20 months+, dry cows, breeding bulls over 1 year, or veal.
Banamine’s injectable label is IV only in cattle, with a 4-day slaughter withdrawal. Giving it in the muscle because IV is inconvenient is the single most common cause of flunixin residue violations at slaughter: IM injection creates a depot at the injection site that clears far slower than IV, and 4 days is nowhere near enough. IM flunixin is extra-label use, requires a veterinarian-set withdrawal, and shows up constantly in FSIS residue reports.
The transdermal pour-on version exists precisely to solve this: it is labeled for pour-on use with an 8-day slaughter withdrawal and no needle at all. If restraining for IV is not practical on your place, the pour-on is the legal answer — not an IM shot.
What the label requires
- Injectable: IV ONLY in cattle, 4-day slaughter withdrawal, 36-hour milk withhold.
- IM/SQ injection is extra-label, clears slowly, and is the #1 source of flunixin residue violations.
- Banamine Transdermal (pour-on): 8-day slaughter withdrawal, 48-hour milk withhold.
- Do not stack with Resflor Gold, which already contains flunixin.
Always follow the label on your bottle and your veterinarian's directions. Extra-label use — any different dose, route, or frequency — voids the withdrawal above; your vet sets the interval instead, usually via FARAD. When in doubt, hold longer. Label data checked July 18, 2026. Source: FDA label (DailyMed).
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Common questions
What is the withdrawal if Banamine was given IM by mistake?
There is no label answer — IM is not a labeled route in cattle. Call your veterinarian; FARAD-derived intervals for IM flunixin are substantially longer than 4 days (often 30+ depending on dose). Do not ship on the IV figure.
Why is IM Banamine such a big deal when IV is only 4 days?
Injected in muscle, flunixin lingers at the injection site long after blood levels fall. FSIS tests find it, and flunixin is perennially among the top violative residues in cull cows. The transdermal product was developed specifically to give chute-side convenience without the residue trap.