DMSO (20 characters)?

DMSO will work to get rid of an abscess - it gets used for that all the time. The quickest way to get an abscess to drain and heal is to get it to rupture. DMSO will agitate the area so that it either ruptures or "sweats" it out.

Yes it is a "carrier" that helps other medicines pass through the skin more easily, but unless you are applying a healthy scoop of poop and then the DMSO, the odds of it "carrying" in a bacteria are extremely slim.

If you do end up using it... wear gloves and be in a safe place in case the horse kicks. DMSO gets very warm very quickly and some horse take offense to it being used on them.

Gallop - if I had to guess, the horse got an abscess from a penicillin shot or something similar in the neck. That would be the most likely reason given that it developed post-treatment. Most cases like that the vet doesn't want to waste their time on. So they recommend DMSO on the site and bute orally. It's not great medicine, but it works 90% of the time.

I've never heard of it being used for an abscess- that seems a bit off to me but check w/your vet and see what the reasoning behind using it is.

If you can, find the DMSO that comes in "roll-on" form, that is by far the easiest form to use. If you can't find the roll on kind, make sure you wear latex gloves. DMSO absorbs into your skin (and your horses) and causes a horrible, horrible, horrible after taste. Trust me on this one (I learned the hard way) you do not want this stuff touching your skin.

I used this for a knot (per the vets advice) that my horse had on his neck- it wasn't an abscess but a knot from a kick or bite and it worked wonders for him, however, don't be surprised if your horse seems a little off his feed. The after taste this stuff leaves makes everything taste funny until it's out of your system - both for humans and horses!!!!!

I would not do this, and i'd be questioning my vet's thinking to even suggest it. DMSO is a potent antiinflammatory and a very potent carrier which will transport whatever is on the skin surface through the skin and into the deeper tissues and bloodstream. This effect is the polar opposite to the drawing effect achieved by poulticing or applying warm compresses as is often prescribed for abscesses.

I would never use DMSO over an abscess. An abscess forms when the immune system isolates microbes and products of infection in tissues, forming an enclosed membrane pocket and containing the infection to prevent diffuse spread. DMSO can easily carry the microbes from the abscess through the membrane to spread it diffusely into tissues and blood vessels. It can also carry any debris or chemicals on the skin into the tissues wherever it is applied.

I'm wondering what the vet has determined as the cause for an abscess in your horse's neck? I would definitely want that diagnosed. A second opinion from another vet might be a good idea.

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Add......A pulmonary abscess located within a lung, as in alveolar space or bronchi, would be a common complication of aspiration pneumonia. This would be within the chest of course, and not apparent on the neck.

But an abscess in the neck would not be a typical complication seen in aspiration pneumonia, and if it can't easily be explained, it could indicate presence of a systemic infection, or might be related to an as yet unidentified condition that actually may have caused the choke in the first place.

Often bolting of food is assumed to be the cause of choke, and for all I know you are certain that it was the cause, but it is possible there may be a pharyngeal or esophageal condition that predisposed the horse to choke, and that might be related to this abscess. I would ask the vet to explain what she thinks has caused this abscess to develop in this location. The fact that the horse is recovering from aspiration pneumonia doesn't in itself explain the reason for development of this abscess.

In addition to what the others said, DO NOT SPRAY HIM WITH ANY CHEMICALS. That includes fly spray, show sheen, etc. DMSO takes things and basically rushes them in to the blood stream. Horses have died after being coated with DMSO and then fly sprayed afterwards on accident.

Are you sure your vet isn't recommended a mixture of DMSO and Dex? That is what mine has recommended for abcesses.

ETA:

No offense but if my horse was THAT sick, he would not be sitting in my pasture or in my stall. He would be hauled up to the clinic or hospital for careful 24/7 monitering. A horse that sick can turn the tide quicker than you would ever believe.

I've never heard of using DMSO for an abcess - usually it helps best with swelling. The best advice I have for it is WEAR GLOVES. It very easily absorbed by the skin and most people complain that when they touch it, they can "taste" a chemical/permanent marker sensation in their mouth. Also be careful using it - its very jelly like and easily spilled all over the place!

I've never heard of using DMSO... what we do for drawing out abcesses is boil some water, pour it into a bucket, add some bran and epsom salts so it looks like oatmeal, apply it to the area and wrap using vet wrap and diaper.

Always works.

A vet had me use DMSO for a hemotoma once on my mare. It didn't work and after 3 weeks it had to be lanced and drained. Just remember to use latex gloves to apply it as it is not good for humans. Just follow the directions your vet gave you and let them know if the situation does not change or gets worse.

Wear gloves.

Ask you vet why she thinks this would be a beneficial treatment for an abscess. Never hurts to try to inform yourself. I've never had a vet recommend DSMO for abscesses, and I've dealt with all types of them over the years. I'm curious as to the reasoning behind it.

DMSO can get hot on a leg. Are you washing it completely between functions? It is usually going to permeate the skin very with ease, so that is one other cause to wash between functions. DMSO can take delivery of IV in some instances, however definitely there are different vets that you can call concerning the horse licking it. In the interim, are you able to fashion a neck cradle to discontinue the horse from bringing his head down? Something you do, do not wrap it.

Gallop's answer is very right, and instead of attacking someone who is trying to help you and being immature about it, i would highly recommend taking her advice.