Flys on geldings sheath?

asommerville

asommerville

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My gelding has loads of scabs just in front of his sheath, and its slightly swollen. Doesn’t seem to be bothering him (although it must be itchy as he enjoys it when I try to get the scabs off or put cream on) and he is still peeing normally. I thought it was the flies, have been covering in sudocream and will clean tonight with hibiscrub and then put cream back on. If it doesn’t clear up in a couple of days I’ll get the vet, he’s never had this before. Has anyone else this problem?
 
asommerville said:
My gelding has loads of scabs just in front of his sheath, and its slightly swollen. Doesn’t seem to be bothering him (although it must be itchy as he enjoys it when I try to get the scabs off or put cream on) and he is still peeing normally. I thought it was the flies, have been covering in sudocream and will clean tonight with hibiscrub and then put cream back on. If it doesn’t clear up in a couple of days I’ll get the vet, he’s never had this before. Has anyone else this problem?
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Hibi will hurt like hell if he's already scabby. It's also really drying, so unless it looks infected, you'd be better off just continuing what you're doing. Barrier type cream is the best thing to use as it prevents more flies landing and biting, soothes the existing bites, and softens up the scabs so they will just rub off.
 
When I first got my last boy, his sheath was so swollen from fly bites that I had to get the vet. He prescribed 15 piriton tablets a day until it went down. Then I gave it a bloody good scrub - it was filthy, had a piece of gunk the size of a credit card inside his sheath. I made sure it was always clean & covered it in Lincoln fly gel every day - stinks like nail varnish but really keeps the flies off x
 
Sudocream wont keep the flies off for long, best use a fly deterrant spray which you can whip on his willy and in front and on his belly button, good old cow fly cream or neem oil, or something with deet in like naf products, must be so itchy and i would also worm him with ivermectin because if they have laid eggs they will enter through the skin and go into his organs.
 
Even though I'm chuckling at Auslander and jemima*askin's responses, there's a serious side to this thread . . . please don't apply fly spray directly to your poor horse's penis . . . and please don't apply hibiscrub. Keeping his sheath clean is a great start - a pair of gloves, a lubricant (I actually use a sheath cleaner), some warm water and a stiffened spine are your friends in this regard . . . but once you are sure it's all tickety boo up there (do make sure you rinse it really, really well if you use sheath cleaner), keeping some sort of fly repellent in the sheath area (as in outside the sheath) is probably enough . . . summer cream is good (if a little brightly coloured), along with something like the Phazer gel which you can wipe around his sheath with a sponge.

Please, please be very careful what you introduce into his sheath and what you wipe on his penis - that's a very delicate area.

P
 
You're so sensible PS! But correct. I use udder cream round the sheath and along the belly line. It soothes damaged/bitten skin, and seems to put flies off quite successfully. I don't blame em, i wouldn't be thrilled to land up to my knees in sticky stuff if I was a fly. The stuff i use has tea tree oil n it, which is a fairly effective repellent.

i have to say it, I tried not to, but for the sake of those who don't know any better. Fly eggs do not burrow through the skin and end up in the organs. Eggs don't have a sharp end for a start. Or teeth...
 
Auslander said:
i have to say it, I tried not to, but for the sake of those who don't know any better. Fly eggs do not burrow through the skin and end up in the organs. Eggs don't have a sharp end for a start. Or teeth...
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Having picked my jaw up off the floor, it occurred to me that perhaps Striker was referring to bot eggs... which CAN and DO end up in the digestive system, but NOT by burrowing through the skin (I'll have nightmares about that for years...)
 
PapaFrita said:
Having picked my jaw up off the floor, it occurred to me that perhaps Striker was referring to bot eggs... which CAN and DO end up in the digestive system, but NOT by burrowing through the skin (I'll have nightmares about that for years...)
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Is the reference to Filarial worms and neck threadworms ?
 
My sweetitch boy can have problems along his mid line. Its pretty much all covered apart from about 10cms in front of his sheath. I cover his sheath and exposed mid line with sudocreme or similar. Flies dont seem to bite through it and it lasts 24 hours. If I dont do that he gets bites and is clearly itchy
 
Auslander said:
You're so sensible PS! But correct. I use udder cream round the sheath and along the belly line. It soothes damaged/bitten skin, and seems to put flies off quite successfully. I don't blame em, i wouldn't be thrilled to land up to my knees in sticky stuff if I was a fly. The stuff i use has tea tree oil n it, which is a fairly effective repellent.

i have to say it, I tried not to, but for the sake of those who don't know any better. Fly eggs do not burrow through the skin and end up in the organs. Eggs don't have a sharp end for a start. Or teeth...
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Thanks everyone, I actually ordered his wormer last night so should be here tomorrow, auslander can I ask where you get our udder cream with tea tree oil from?
 
Under-the-radar said:
If he is just mainly scratching along his mid line take a look at the neck worm info, as this can cause itching all along the mid line.

http://thehorsesback.com/neck-threadworms/

(Sorry if you already know this! :) )
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As can the midges - which you can usually see feasting on them along the mid-line. Neck threadworm are introduced by midges,which are the hosts, so non threadworm-infected midges cause itching and sores along the midline just as much is infected ones do!
 
Auslander said:
As can the midges - which you can usually see feasting on them along the mid-line. Neck threadworm are introduced by midges,which are the hosts, so non threadworm-infected midges cause itching and sores along the midline just as much is infected ones do!
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Weren't the flies on his sheath and in front of it? Exactly where LC gets them? *Must check his neck* SIGH
 
Some poor new girl was watching me smooge summer fly cream on the boy's sheath and belly button tonight. He's never let me near his bits til this year but has suddenly discovered what a bottom lip wobbling experience it is. Should I be ashamed? :confused3:
 
cinnamontoast said:
Some poor new girl was watching me smooge summer fly cream on the boy's sheath and belly button tonight. He's never let me near his bits til this year but has suddenly discovered what a bottom lip wobbling experience it is. Should I be ashamed? :confused3:
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lol, love the direction this thread went :D

Serious answer to the OP - I would be using neem oil. It doesn't sting (unlike e.g. tea tree oil or hibiscrub), and it is probably the best fly repellent I have come across. And it has amazing skin healing properties - at the moment, it's being used in our field in a spray for flies, as well as smeared on cuts, grazes and rubs (and I've used it on frogs for thrush). I've also used it as a very effective and gentle sheath cleaner, but I wouldn't use it on a pink skinned horse as I suspect sunburn may follow...
 
I used to use a bright yellow cream (that usually came in a blue tub) that I think was meant for fly problems in sheep. (Was it called Summer Fly Cream perchance?) Anyway, it was brilliant both for soothing existing bites and for repelling flies. The worst ones for attacking sheaths were the tiny black ones that would produce little globules of dried blood on the skin if left to their own evil devices. The only disadvantage of this cream was if you got any on your fingers it made you look like a 100-a-day smoker for a couple of days.

Neem oil sounds good though - I'll look into it.
 
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