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Throughout the years, DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) has had a lot of ups and downs. At one point, it was considered a modern-day medical miracle, and before long, its use had ceased entirely. Today, it’s seen as a valuable cure and medicine, particularly in the equine realm, though many people swear by DMSO for their own ailments.
DMSO is something that almost everyone in the equine world has heard about, even if they don’t all have experience with it. The list of benefits it’s purported to provide is quite long and impressive, but not everyone knows what DMSO can do and why to use it. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at DMSO and how it might benefit or harm horses, disclosing all the information you need about this veterinary chemical.
What Is DMSO?
DMSO is a thick, strong-smelling liquid used to treat a wide range of health problems that commonly affect horses. It is not just a standard medication; it can treat more than individual diseases. Many medical conditions can benefit from its use, though overuse can bring some harmful side effects.
It is very similar to water, which allows it to interact with water differently than other chemicals. Water bonds with DMSO 1.3 times stronger than with another water molecule. Inside the body, DMSO can act like water, passing through cell membranes without causing damage. It can even replace water in several bodily fluids. Interestingly, because of that, when a human uses DMSO topically, their breath can smell like burnt almonds or garlic.
Is DMSO Safe for Horses?
In the 1960s, DMSO was a very popular medication used to treat several equine health concerns. However, the use of DMSO ended abruptly shortly after due to safety concerns. A few years later, in 1970, DMSO was approved for use in horses, and since then, it has once again become a popular medication for equine health problems.
When used in moderate dosages, DMSO is safe for horses. However, overuse is a significant concern that can result in unwanted side effects.
Benefits of DMSO
DMSO is shown to have many benefits for horses, including:
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
One of the most common uses for DMSO is to reduce swelling. Generally, swelling is caused by injury, and reducing inflammation will allow the injury to heal quicker. DMSO is classified as an NSAID, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It contains antioxidants that reduce inflammation by binding with free radicals and preventing them from damaging swells. On the same note, DMSO reduces edema and is even used to treat spinal inflammation from trauma or destructive diseases like West Nile encephalitis.
Pain Relief
DMSO does a lot more than reduce inflammation. It can also provide relief from pain by slowing or stopping impulses from moving along nerve cells. While the relief lasts only a few hours, DMSO can be combined with other analgesics to provide pain relief for longer durations.
Microbial Growth Prevention
DMSO doesn’t directly kill bacteria, though it stops them from reproducing. It’s a bacteriostatic agent, so it’s great for cleaning wounds, abscesses, or guttural pouches.
Draw Fluid From the Lungs
Acute pulmonary edema occurs when excess fluid fills the lungs and makes breathing difficult. When this happens to a horse, DMSO is often used to draw fluid from the lungs, in conjunction with banamine or a corticosteroid.
Boosting the Effectiveness of Other Drugs
One of DMSO’s main uses is to boost the effectiveness of other drugs. For example, it is often used to get other drugs into sore muscles, such as prednisolone. Prednisolone doesn’t absorb into the tissues that well on its own, but with DMSO, it can penetrate deeply to provide enhanced relief. DMSO can also be used to get drugs into hard-to-reach tissues for treating infections like ringworm.
Diuretic
DMSO can be used intravenously to increase a horse’s urination frequency. This is useful when you need to flush something quickly through a horse’s system to prevent toxicity, such as cantharidin poisoning, more colloquially known as blister beetle toxicity.
Potential Risks of DMSO Use
While DMSO has a long list of great benefits and is considered to be safe for horses in moderate doses, it has some risks associated with its use, particularly when overdosed.
Can Carry Unwanted Chemicals Into the Blood
DMSO is often used to transport drugs into the system. For instance, it is used topically to help pain-relieving drugs penetrate muscle tissue. But it has the same effect on other chemicals and substances. If your horse has a fly repellent on its skin, for example, the DMSO would also transport those chemicals into your horse’s tissues, increasing the absorption of potentially harmful compounds.
This can cause some chemicals that are generally safe for horses to become highly toxic, which can result in significant health problems.
Harmful for Dehydrated Horses
Because DMSO has diuretic properties, it’s effective at flushing a horse’s system and preventing toxicity from an ingested chemical. On the other hand, it can cause a dehydrated horse to dehydrate even further. DMSO can lead to excess fluid loss from the kidneys while simultaneously reducing blood pressure due to the dilation of peripheral blood vessels. Make sure your horse is well hydrated before administering DMSO.
Skin Conditions
DMSO is safe for topical use, but if overused, it can lead to rashes and other skin conditions, including itchy, dry, flaky skin. The skin might turn red, or scaling may occur. When mixed with water, DMSO causes a warming effect that’s often therapeutic. However, once again, the effect can be painful if it’s too concentrated, as it can cause the skin to burn.
Final Thoughts
Proponents of DMSO often tout it as a miracle medication. In truth, there is a long list of benefits that DMSO can provide, and when appropriately used in moderate dosages, it’s completely safe. However, like with any medication, improper use can lead to health problems. You can burn your horse’s skin or cause rashes. Dehydrated horses can experience further fluid loss and dehydration, and any chemicals on your horse’s skin could be transported into their bloodstream.
So, ensure you understand the risks before using DMSO and take all necessary precautions to ensure you and your horse’s experience with DMSO is pleasant.
Featured Image Credit: Free-Photos, Pixabay
2 Responses
We have a horse that was given a liter of lactated ringers with 10cc of DMSO in the MUSCLE not IV. It is swollen, hoping it goes down. Have been putting topical DMSO on it. Any advice?
Thank you
Hi Desiree, thank you for reading us and sorry for a bit of a late answer. Dydimethyl sulfoxide is approved to be used intravenously, orally, or topically in horses. Some have also used it intra-articularly but never injected into the muscle. Experimental studies with muscle cells of other species show that DMSO depresses skeletal muscle contractibility.
Please get your horse checked by an equine veterinarian for further instructions.