DMSO

We’ve been treating a case of cellulitis in one of the horses recently. Cellulitis can be quick and easy to treat or a drawn out process that involves a lot of medication and effort. This has been the latter type of case. In addition to treating with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories the vet wanted us to cold hose the leg for 20 minutes twice a day, and to sweat the leg overnight for a few nights. For the sweat he told me to use a 50/50 mixture of DMSO and furacin.

Cold hosing – check, no problem. Sweat with DMSO and furacin – check, no problem. I keep a very well stocked barn with just about anything and everything one would need for addressing any type of problem that might arise. Most of the time all of my supplies sit around unused for long periods of time, to the point where I begin to wonder A) why I have all of it in the first place and B) maybe I should pitch some of the stuff I never seem to need to clear out some storage space.

Out came the DMSO, furacin and plastic wrap, along with a standing wrap. Each evening for a few nights I would set the sweat up after it had dried from round 2 of cold hosing. Despite being thorough with my plastic wrap of course some of the DMSO/furacin mix managed to get on the edges of the standing wraps I was using. Once I was done with sweating the leg I tossed the wraps and bandages into the washing machine.

Big mistake. I come back in the house that afternoon and I am almost knocked over by a very strong and unpleasant smell as soon as I walk in the door. I stand there for a minute trying to determine what the heck this awful smell is and where it might be coming from, while my brain is going “I know this smell, I’ve smelled this recently.” Then it hits me, I am getting an overwhelming aroma of DMSO.

Anyone who has handled DMSO before knows the stuff smells awful and the odor is so hard to get rid of. Well I’ve been living with it in my house. It has been several days since I made the mistake of putting the DMSO wraps in the washing machine and it is finally starting to fade. In case you are wondering, no, Jason is NOT happy about this. He did mention something about possibly getting a washing machine for the barn to prevent future mishaps like this, so maybe this DMSO cloud we are living with in our house does have a silver lining. Right at the moment as I sit at my desk typing it doesn’t feel (smell) that way!

If anyone has any wonderful suggestions for clearing the smell of DMSO out of the house we’re open to trying pretty much anything. I can assure you that things that might cover up the scent such as candles don’t work, it has been tried! Thankfully it has started subsiding in the last couple of days so maybe we will be DMSO smell free in a few more days. One can only hope.

B-Rad grooming Alex