Ridecamp: Re: [RC] DMSO and abcess - NO!

    Several months ago I posted to the list about the use of DMSO for
treatment of leg injuries but didn't get any responses.  I'll try to
recreate what I wrote and maybe you'll remember....  My mare had gotten a
tear in her tendon sheath. When I had her ultrasounded at the University of
TN to find out the extent of her injuries I asked the Vet what treatment I
should have done (to see if I had done the correct immediate treatment).  I
will try to quote what he said... "I would have tubed water with DMSO into
her, I believe so strongly in this that I would have stolen or held the ride
vet at gunpoint to get this done".   I also asked my regular vet about this
and he agreed (actually selling me vet grade DMSO in case I should ever
need).  Anyway... they both agree that this would go a long way in immediate
treatment and reducing the healing time of a leg injury.   I'd like to know
if anyone here has used this treatment or if you agree?

Linda


> > DMSO is not a vet controlled substance.  DMSO is an over
> > the counter topical and Dot made a point of bringing up the
> > issue of treating an inflamation that happened to be an
> > abcess with topical DMSO.  Big difference between something
> > you can buy out of a catalog for $5 as a rollon and, say,
> > an antibiotic you would have to have gotten from your vet
> > or by perscription only.
> >
> > I have not personally seen IV DMSO for sale to the general
> > horse owner.  Huge difference in the use you brought up
> > about treating strangles abcesses.  And yes, infection
> > can be spread through out the body... a systemic infection
> > is a very serious thing.  "Blood poisoning", or infection
> > that has reached the blood stream, travels throughout
> > the body.  This can show up on people as a red streak
> > up, say, your arm.
>
> Indeed, DMSO can be purchased over the counter exactly as it is used IV.
> It is available from many sources as 99.9% pure liquid by the pint or the
> gallon, and that's exactly what veterinarians (and often laymen as well)
> inject or give orally.  Likewise, penicillin can be purchased at virtually
> any feed store over the counter.  So I think the comparison of lay use and
> availability of the two drugs is apt.
> As to spreading infection throughout the body, certainly the infection can
> spread--the point is that DMSO would not be apt to spread it.  DMSO
> "drives" chemicals across cell walls, whereas the spread of infection
> systemically via an abcess is due to the bloodstream picking up bacteria
> from the abcess and carrying those bacteria elsewhere in the body.
> Different mode of action.
> > I did infact bring up fly spray and other surface born
> > contaminates in my first post and pointed out that those
> > will travel into the body with the DMSO.
>
> Yes--and your point was quite valid.  Which was why I reiterated that this
> was indeed a concern.
> > Heidi, if you would like to argue that using topical DMSO
> > is a legitimate use, go right ahead.  I would never ever
> > recommend using topical DMSO on an abcess to the general
> > horse owning public.
>
> I'm not trying to argue with anyone--simply trying to present information.
>  As to the above statement--I presume you meant to say "using topical DMSO
> on an abcess" in your first sentence as well.  Topical use of DMSO is
> quite legitimate in many circumstances, however using it topically on
> abcesses is not anything I recommended, either.  That said, the original
> posts on this topic were also denigrating the use of DMSO in infections in
> general, and that was the point I chose to clarify.  That said, I'd
> suspect that the concentration of DMSO at an abcess site is far higher
> when we use it IV than if it were put on topically.  Just trying to
> educate folks about the drug, so that other ridecampers aren't put off if
> their veterinarians opt to use DMSO in cases involving infections.
> You are right not to recommend the use of ANY drug to the horse-owning
> public without medical knowledge of each individual case.  My point in
> bringing up the penicillin is that MANY drugs (including DMSO) are
> available over the counter, and are easily misused and misunderstood.
> BTW, it occurred to me after I posted about using DMSO in strangles cases
> and pneumonia cases that many bovine practitioners also recommend use IV
> DMSO in cases of calf diarrhea--my understanding is that the relief of
> edema of the GI tract in these cases is also profound and significant,
> just as it is in the lungs of pneumonia cases.  I wouldn't be surprised
> but what it is used in many other infective situations to good effect as
> well--those just happen to be the situations in which I've used it and
> have known colleagues to use it.
> My main point here is that I've never seen or heard of any evidence that
> DMSO itself spreads infections to other parts of the body, even though it
> has had extensive use in a variety of infective circumstances.
> Heidi
>
>
>
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 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
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