| Nancy,
DMSO is quickly absorbed through the skin. One way to keep the mare
from licking it off while it's still wet would be to put her on the
crossties while rubbing it in and leave her there for 20 minutes or so.
The owner could use that time to groom her.
Is the owner sure that her not eating hay is related to DMSO? I have no
idea whether DMSO would irritate mouth tissues or not. I do know that
it can be a dangerous substance because it penetrates the skin and
carries anything that was mixed into it whether it is medcation or
contaminants.
Have her teeth, mouth and throat been examined? There are other
reasons why a horse doesn't eat hay, especially at 25. She may not be
able to chew and swallow properly.
As to the vet, when in doubt, get a second opinion.
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| I second John's suggestion to keep her restrained until the DMSO dries.
It's a powerful substance, and the owner should only need to apply a
little - she doesnt' need to put so much the coat is soaked in it. I'm
sure if she is licking it off, it would have a lousy taste.
But whether or not it would put her off from eating hay, I again agree
with John that her teeth should be checked, and the hay be examined for
proper quality.
As to what else can be done for arthritis, my mare (age 21) has a mildly
arthritic hock, although apparently not as troubling as your friend's
horses' problem:
- I do not use DMSO at all, but I do feed a low dose on Emflx daily, and
it seems to help.
- I also give her a rub down with Absorbine gel after hard work outs.
- You can also feed supplements containing GAGS (such as Cosequin, MSM,
or Flex-Free) that are supposedly very helpful in the production of
synovial(sp) joint fluids - my mare isn't advanced enough to need them
yet, and they are extremely expensive.
- I have bute that my vet told me to give before and/or after hard work
outs if needed, but so far I haven't had to.
- One of the best things you can do for arthritis is keep them moving;
round the clock turnout if possible, and plenty of exercise. I do a
pretty good amount of trail riding pretty much year round, up to 40 -
55 miles a week at the busiest time of the season, and my vet has
advised me to continue to do so until it becomes impossible for her.
- There are several 'injectable' options - steroids, cortisone, for
example, that can often help in more advanced cases
I, too, would get a second vet opinion if not entirely comfortable with
the first.
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