my horse has a large hematoma on upper hind leg that will not go away. (It's been 5 months) I does not seem to hurt or impare his riding but it's very hard and he looks deformed.  Has anyone had anything like this. Does it ever go away?

Monsterhorse, I'm going to go against your advice about using DMSO.  It can be a very harmful compound in the wrong hands(for both user and equine) and it alone will not treat this condition.  I can safely say as both an equestrain and a chemist there are much more user friendly topical treatments that have a larger margin of error and are proven to work.

DMSO shouldn't be used unless you have experience with the chemical application, use and side effects.  This chemical transports other medications through the skin and into tissues both helpful and harmful.  Using it alone has not been clinically proven to do anything.  I have taken a relevant clip from Canada's national health website.  http://www.dnd.ca/health/services/health_promotion/Engraph/factsheet_dmso_e.asp

What are the major concerns with DMSO use? There are a number of significant concerns with regard to DMSO use:

1. DMSO has not undergone the rigorous clinical testing that is required to establish if and how it may be safely used; if there are any health consequences from its prolonged use and how it interacts with other medications. We also do not know how it may affect children, the elderly, people with specific medical problems and woman who are pregnant or breast feeding. Without this basic research, it is uncertain if DMSO's potential benefits out weight the potential harm it may cause.

2. DMSO is an excellent solvent and as such is very rapidly absorbed across the skin. As a solvent it is also able to dissolve a wide spectrum of compounds and carry them across the skin and deposit them into the body. This would include such things as the insect repellent you apply to your skin. This can have potentially serious consequences if the dissolved compounds happened to be highly toxic substances such a pesticides.

3. DMSO is made in three different grades - industrial, veterinary and medical. Medical grade DMSO is the highest quality and should be free of all contaminants. Industrial grade DMSO is not intended for human use and may contain many contaminants - some of which could cause serious side effects in people. The companies that produce industrial grade DMSO often use the same equipment to produce toxic substances such as pesticides and so contamination is inevitable. Unfortunately, much of the DMSO sold on the black market is industrial grade and could cause serious short and long-term problems in its users.

4. Manufacturers can use the solvent properties of DMSO to carry other medications across your skin. Some of these substances include such things as anti-inflammatories and corticosteroids. Some manufacturers may not list these substances on the DMSO container hoping that the therapeutic effect they create will be attributed exclusively to the DMSO and so boost product sales. People who are allergic to these "Hidden" substances could experience serious reactions.

The bottom line! DMSO is a product that has not undergone the rigorous scientific testing required to ensure that it actually works for certain medical conditions and that it is safe for short and long-term use by patients. In Canada, DMSO is currently only approved for a few very select chronic genitourinary conditions and is only available through prescription. Individuals who obtain DMSO from sources other than their pharmacy cannot be certain of the quality of the product they are using and it may contain additional medications or contaminants that could cause serious side effects. Despite the above, many Canadians continue to place themselves at potential risk by using DMSO for a wide variety of medical conditions, even though there is little or no scientific evidence that DMSO is effective in treating these conditions.

D. Menard MD Dip Sport Med
Sport Medicine Consultant
DCOS Force Health Protection