7 Things you may not have known about DMSO DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE

Two decades ago, if you mentioned dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) around the barn you may have gotten puzzled looks in response. Back then, this industrial solvent turned anti-inflammatory therapy was relatively new to the horse world, and even if people had heard of it they viewed it as an unusual or even mysterious option.

Since then, DMSO has gone main-stream. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for topical use on horses, but veterinarians regularly use the chemical “off-label” in other ways to treat a wide array of inflammatory conditions, from laminitis to neurological problems. When the DMSO’s distinctive garlicky smell wafts through the barn these days, people are more likely to nod knowingly than wonder what’s going on.

Nonetheless, DMSO is a little like aspirin---something that many people use without necessarily thinking too much about how it works. But learning more