Any ideas what this may be?warning-gross pic of sheath

[Gypley]

Hi all,

So with the wealth of knowledge that resides on HHO, I'd like to ask if anyone has seen anything like the below image.
Please note that we are currently investigation with the vet.

I noticed 2 Fridays ago that his bits could do with a clean. Went to clean it on the Saturday and realised that it was very much not right. Not painful at all and happily let me investigate.

Called the vet Monday who came and saw him Tuesday. Was pretty stumped but initially gave a course of antibiotics and Bute. Horse was happy for vet to have a good rummage up there with no sedation. Swab was also taken to see what they could grow. Nothing of any significace came back from the swab and no improvement from the antibiotics, so the next port of call is a biopsy on Thursday to see if its cancerous *gulp* .

The vet did say that if it is cancerous there are things they can do, however I didn't query as to what because I was trying to be positive that it would clear up with antibiotics.

Vet has also shown image to other vets in the practice including soft tissue surgeon and all are none the wiser.

A thorough Google search of sheath ailments was futile.

243050407_10165847570520473_1885351233109282477_n.jpg

 

[AmyMay]

?????

I’m going with a herpes type virus.

 

[Equi]

Oh the poor poppet. Good you noticed that! Will be interested to know what it turns out to be.

 

[meleeka]

Oh dear that is dramatic ?. I’m hoping you find out soon. I’m going with a type of Heroes too, but would that have shown up on the swab?

 

[Nicnac]

If the vets have no idea, then I certainly don't. Well done for finding it

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Looks a bit suss ? I’d be holding judgment until after the biopsy. Healing thoughts x

 

[Quigleyandme]

No idea. I really hope for a success resolution though. X

 

[Gloi]

It looks a bit like a fungal or yeast infection to me. Maybe see if an athletes foot cream makes any difference.
Hope you get to the bottom of it

 

[Gloi]

https://www.horsejournals.com/horse-care/breeding/stallion/6-steps-horse-sheath-cleaning

There's a horse in this article with a similar thing but they don't say what it is.

 

[Equi]

It looks a bit like a fungal or yeast infection to me. Maybe see if an athletes foot cream makes any difference.
Hope you get to the bottom of it

My first thought was thrush but the red blisters threw me and google didn’t bring me any pictures I wanted to look too closely at ?

 

[Gloi]

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/recurring-sheath-infection-in-gelding.514198/

This seems to be another horse with similar.

Just a thought. How old is your horse? If he's older has he been tested for Cushing's that can make them prone to weird infections.

 

[Gypley]

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/recurring-sheath-infection-in-gelding.514198/

This seems to be another horse with similar.

Just a thought. How old is your horse? If he's older has he been tested for Cushing's that can make them prone to weird infections.

He’s 11. Never been tested for Cushings.
I should have added I was also using canesten cream but has also made no difference. It’s certainly odd!

 

[Gypley]

Thanks you all you replies and well wishes so far.
I was hoping someone might say he needs a certain cream applied twice daily and it will be gone in a week
Alas, I’ll update when I receive the biopsy results

 

[chaps89]

I think @ester on here her horse had sheath problems, she might be able to say if that looks anything like her horse had (or not)

 

[PurBee]

Looks like really really well developed candida albicans overgrowth - yeast - hard to shift with general antifungal creams too.
I did a google search and it doesnt appear to be common in horses, as a pathology, while candida strains alongside others, have been isolated and are natural and common in mare’s genital tracts. Didnt find into in geldings internal genital natural bacterial studies.

Antibiotics could make it worse, if it is candida. Candida is generally resistant to many common anti-b’s, yet other beneficial bacteria can be killed off by anti-b’s, allowing candida to proliferate.
Is the horse on any grains, lots of lush grass, ryegrass hay? Excess sugar and candida are often linked.
Is the horse on garlic supplement? That kills off beneficial bacteria.
Does the horse have sheath cleaning regularly? - as that could clean off various beneficial naturally occurring genital bacteria, allowing candida to proliferate, if a strong anti-bacterial or detergent soap is used rather than just warm water. Yet, if this was the cause we’d see more geldings with this problem as sheath cleaning protocols have become vastly more popular now.

Fingers crossed the biopsy results help you get an i.d. It’ll be really interesting to find out.

 

[Gypley]

Looks like really really well developed candida albicans overgrowth - yeast - hard to shift with general antifungal creams too.
I did a google search and it doesnt appear to be common in horses, as a pathology, while candida strains alongside others, have been isolated and are natural and common in mare’s genital tracts. Didnt find into in geldings internal genital natural bacterial studies.

Antibiotics could make it worse, if it is candida. Candida is generally resistant to many common anti-b’s, yet other beneficial bacteria can be killed off by anti-b’s, allowing candida to proliferate.
Is the horse on any grains, lots of lush grass, ryegrass hay? Excess sugar and candida are often linked.
Is the horse on garlic supplement? That kills off beneficial bacteria.
Does the horse have sheath cleaning regularly? - as that could clean off various beneficial naturally occurring genital bacteria, allowing candida to proliferate, if a strong anti-bacterial or detergent soap is used rather than just warm water. Yet, if this was the cause we’d see more geldings with this problem as sheath cleaning protocols have become vastly more popular now.

Fingers crossed the biopsy results help you get an i.d. It’ll be really interesting to find out.

Thank you for your reply.
Horse lives out on previously overgrazed grass (which I'm trying to improve with rest and rotation) so the chance of anything lush would be a fine thing at the moment. He's currently on a pretty bare sacrifice paddock with a round of meadow hay.
Diet wise, hard feeds are low sugar/starch due to previous ulcers. No garlic.
I rarely sheath clean, probably once previously in the past year as it never really needs it and when I do its always with warm water.

Despite all that I'm sure there's always exceptions to these sorts of things and it could very well be a yeast infection regardless of not being an exact candidate for it.

Really interesting thoughts though so its certainly something ill explore with the vet on Thursday.
Thank you

 

[PurBee]

Thank you for your reply.
Horse lives out on previously overgrazed grass (which I'm trying to improve with rest and rotation) so the chance of anything lush would be a fine thing at the moment. He's currently on a pretty bare sacrifice paddock with a round of meadow hay.
Diet wise, hard feeds are low sugar/starch due to previous ulcers. No garlic.
I rarely sheath clean, probably once previously in the past year as it never really needs it and when I do its always with warm water.

Despite all that I'm sure there's always exceptions to these sorts of things and it could very well be a yeast infection regardless of not being an exact candidate for it.

Really interesting thoughts though so its certainly something ill explore with the vet on Thursday.
Thank you

With that diet and management - He doesn’t sound like a usual candidate for candida…oh that was pun-like! ?

Though having seen your pic again, if im seeing right, the bumps are right up inside the lining of the sheath?
If so, perhaps more geldings have this issue but owners dont notice, if theres no overt symptoms? Im amazed theres such little info online about inner sheath infections in geldings - there’s loads of info regarding mares genital infections.

Meant to add to previous post, there’s other candida strains aside from albicans, so could be a variation not commonly seen - mares have 3 candida strains naturally in their vaginal tract, according to 1 study, so perhaps geldings do too and he’s got a severe overgrowth of a less common variety, which is why its not looking like common candida albicans.

Hopefully once vet gets it identified its easy to treat…look forward to update.

 

[stangs]

Absolutely no clue, but I wonder if it's something common in other countries with different climates, as we've had a bit of a weird summer weather wise.

You've noticed no behaviour changes with him at all? Are those red lump looking things squishy or hard? And horse was absolutely fine with being felt up - no tail swishes or shifting around? Does he have any other medical issues that might have made him immunocompromised?

Sorry for all the questions, just very curious as to what it could be, especially as you seem to be managing him pretty well otherwise. Fingers crossed for you that it's nothing serious, that you get an i.d, and that the treatment's not too expensive.

Though having seen your pic again, if im seeing right, the bumps are right up inside the lining of the sheath?
If so, perhaps more geldings have this issue but owners dont notice, if theres no overt symptoms? Im amazed theres such little info online about inner sheath infections in geldings - there’s loads of info regarding mares genital infections.

Does make me think that we should all be properly checking on our horses sheathes more regularly than the yearly sheath clean though.

 

[meleeka]

Does make me think that we should all be properly checking on our horses sheathes more regularly than the yearly sheath clean though.

I’m very well aquatinted with my gelding’s. He’s had maggots up there more than once so i clean it fairly often during the summer ? . i wish I didn’t have to as it does seem to produce more gunk that when I did it yearly.

 

[Gypley]

Absolutely no clue, but I wonder if it's something common in other countries with different climates, as we've had a bit of a weird summer weather wise.

You've noticed no behaviour changes with him at all? Are those red lump looking things squishy or hard? And horse was absolutely fine with being felt up - no tail swishes or shifting around? Does he have any other medical issues that might have made him immunocompromised?

Sorry for all the questions, just very curious as to what it could be, especially as you seem to be managing him pretty well otherwise. Fingers crossed for you that it's nothing serious, that you get an i.d, and that the treatment's not too expensive.


Does make me think that we should all be properly checking on our horses sheathes more regularly than the yearly sheath clean though.

Thanks for your comment
No worries about all the questions. Always helps to paint the best picture possible.
Nope, no behavioural changes at all. A little bit of a fidget but no different to what he'd usually be if you have a rummage around.
The red ulcerated parts are squishy.
No other medical issues that Id think could be linked.

 

[Gypley]

An update for all interested.

Horse went in for biopsy today. Unloaded him and was met by the vet carrying out the biopsy. I wasn't allowed in due to covid, but was told they would sedate him, have a really good look up there and then biopsy. Due to how odd it was, she was being shadowed by a senior vet and as many interns as they could safely fit in the room.

15 minuets later, the vet came back to the lorry and informed me there was nothing there. Absolutely nothing! Just a perfectly normal, if a little flaky sheath and penis

I have to admit, after booking him in for the biopsy on Monday, other than bending down to have a look I haven't rummaged around up there, I've really just left it alone.

We can only assume it was some sort of nasty infection and the antibiotics, although slow to show improvement, did their job. So somewhat of an anticlimax, but good to know its nothing sinister. I'll be keeping a close eye going forwards, but hopefully we've seen the back of it now

 

[meleeka]

?. Yay that’s brilliant news! (even if it was a bit of a waste of your time).

So relieved it was nothing sinister.

 

[ycbm]

Great news, thanks for sharing, I won't panic now if I ever see anything similar!
.

 

[stangs]

Thanks for the update - that's probably the best possible outcome. Though can't help having a chuckle at the imagery of vet having told their colleagues how strange the case is, all those interns crowding around your boy... and all just to see a perfectly normal sheath.

 

[Gypley]

Thanks for the update - that's probably the best possible outcome. Though can't help having a chuckle at the imagery of vet having told their colleagues how strange the case is, all those interns crowding around your boy... and all just to see a perfectly normal sheath.

I know! I actually felt quite embarrassed!

 

[Fjord]

That's a big relief!

 

[PurBee]

Thats great news - shame it had all magically cleared up with the anti-b’s, as it looked so unusual would be nice to know what it was!

Well whatever it was, great to know anti-b’s clear it ?

 

[Nicnac]

Thank goodness! How bizarre - at least you had photographic evidence.