Gross thread warning!! Yucky/infected sheath - any tips please?

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Charlie-Brown

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Hiya and apologies if this thread is a bit manky!

Just been to see my boy and noticed that he had a bit of crusty discharge on the insides of his back legs, but not a great deal. Then checked his sheath and there's discharge around the opening and crust along his abdomen, together with a slight smell. The skin looks puffy and sore (he has pink and black skin around that area) and he's a bit tetchy about me touching it.

Anyway, have given it a good wash around the outside and in the entrance to the sheath as best I could and it looks much better. He's not poorly in himself at all and when I turned him back out got his dingly half out and it all looks ok from what I could see!

Has anybody had any experience of this please? I'm hoping it's just a localised infection to the skin due to flies rather than anything more sinister. My plan is to keep area clean and fly repelled and see how we get on?? Any suggestions would be great , thank you :)
 
cover the whole thing in sudocream everyday which will help with any skin probs and keep the flies off. if he penis is clean and uve checked for a bean then should be ok but any real swelling and any probs with peeing etc then get the vet to be on the safe side:D
 
Thank you :) I have to say, I've owned several geldings now and have never come across the term 'bean' until you mentioned it! I've just googled so am now clear on what one is, I think! Thank you for that, although I'm now feeling a little unnerved about the prospect of searching for it! :eek:

Have always had boys that have never had to have their sheaths cleaned as they've been very clean, so this is all new to me - I've always been of the belief that it can cause more problems when you start interfering than if you just leave it alone?? Although prepared to be corrected!

Also, is it best to just wash with water, or salt water if there's a bit of infection, rather than use these products you can buy?
 
I think you should investigate further to be on the safe side -
I know of a horse that had similar symptoms, with no obvious cause of the infection. It took a vet to discover that flies had laid eggs, and the maggots had gone right up out of sight inside the sheath and were doing serious damage.
 
This is a things most of you horsey ladies miss but as a guy I am fastidious about cleaning my boys bits.
I give them a good clean every week :o
 
Our old pony used to get maggots up his sheath do I had to clean it once a week......warm water and diluted hipi scrub(very diluted) he let me get my arm right up to my elbow to give it a good clean then rise off and I had this cream from the vets to help moisterise his skin.

I really freaked out when he first got the maggots and the vet that came had just put a sheep down from fly strike!!!
 
Thanks for all the replies! Feeling a little freaked out at the thought of maggots up there!!! :eek:

Think I know what my job tomorrow is going to be.........!
 
I now use KY Jelly or Boots cheaper one regularly on my boy. Kind to his nether regions but gets rid of all gunk. Never had maggots to contend with though!
 
I'm a great sudocreme fan (although obviously call the vet if it's swollen or there are difficulties with peeing)- so much so that when I suggested my husband put some sudocreme on his sunburn or something he said "WHAT - HORSES' WILLY CREAM???"
 
Waffles said:
I'm a great sudocreme fan (although obviously call the vet if it's swollen or there are difficulties with peeing)- so much so that when I suggested my husband put some sudocreme on his sunburn or something he said "WHAT - HORSES' WILLY CREAM???"
Click to expand...
Lol!! :D

The actual sheath is a little bit swollen but although I haven't actually seen him wee yet, he was popping his willy in and out when I turned him back out earlier and it looked ok from what I could see. I'm going to give it a really good clean tomorrow and see what it's like and then just keep a close eye. It's hard as he's out 24/7 on a farm where it's just my friend and me, so although lovely and peaceful (+ bitch free!), the horses only get checked when we're up there twice daily.
 
This may be a job fOr the vet I bought a horse with a nasty sheath like this and I had to get the vet in to sort it a vicious cleaning by the vet under sedation followed by oral antibiotics and a cream he was a much happier horse after that.
 
Please don't use diluted hibiscrub on his bits as its quite harsh!
I'd personally get the vet out to have a look as they can investigate and get the bean out for you as if its not been removed in a while it can be difficult to get out. Someone on old yard had it cut up and removed whilst horse sedated for something else it was that big.
 
Oh Buds is always wapping his dongle out when he gets groomed!

I bought some actual sheath cleaner as his sheath got really swollen and after a clean went down. Keep on top of now :o

As a carer i'm used to cleaning many a penis so doesn't bother me LOL!
 
my lad had a lot of flies round his bits, so I'm using a sheath cleaner, diluted in water, and cotton wool to just wipe the gunk out - and then hose to rinse off.

He had maggots in a cut under his feathers once, and although i know they were cleaning the wound - NEVER AGAIN !!!!!
 
My boy had a bean once and it was just like a butter bean!!!

I clean his bits regularly but then he gets v dirty there if not. He's begun to accept it but at first he was definitely telling me not to touch the tinky wink!
 
Sounds like it could be a bit sore for the poor boy, if the inflammation doesn't calm down, it's probably an idea to get the vet to come out, just so you can be sure it won't get any worse.

My boy drops his willy when I'm grooming him, so I can check if it needs any cleaning. It usually needs to be done about once every 6-8 weeks...I use this stuff on him, Sheath Cleanser, it's all natural. http://www.barrier-biotech.com/product.php?pid=SH.

You put some rubber gloves on, apply the cleanser, and it softens the smegma, then it'll just wipe off with a sponge and water. When it is softened, there is no risk of any hardened smegma causing any little cuts etc (which can be a further cause of infection) during removal. One small bottle will last a long time.

Sheath Cleanser is obviously a product for ongoing maintenance, not for dealing with an acute sheath infection though...you'll need your vet to help with that...
 
I did it under vets supervision as it was the only thing that got ridof maggots. After six months I just used warm water and then the cream twice a month.
 
In training we always did the horses we looked after.

But with my boy:
I get vet to do my gelding.


On a previous thread I was surprised to see how many don't get their sheaths done, they say its not important.:rolleyes:
 
I had one gelding who I never washed clean as a bean! I personally dont believe in routine cleaning and let nature do its thing but..............

My old boy is a crusty old sod. He has had crustyitis since i have had him. I dont religiously wash him probably about 3 times a year. But I have had him sore in the summer with blood specks on his back legs and when I have checked he has been nibbled by pesky flies in the sheath with ie 2 p size round raw areas.

He seems to enjoy the attention on his bits(I am so honoured) and with some disposable gloves I would with yours give him a good old clean with warm saline water or very very mild hibiscrub(this does sting but will kill all germs dead) and stick your fist if he will allow you to had give him a good old wash with a clean old flannel/gauze swabs. If he is so uncomfortable or wont allow then the following after a wash or just on its own....

If he is that sore I would plaster his sheath area with tacky sudocreme/udder cream as suggested. The sudo is so tacky flies will stick to it and it does loosen any beans.

You could take a temperature to see if he is running an infection etc but I would do this clean and cream daily for a three days and if it improves then do it every two to three days for just over a week. After that just slather the cream on the area and that should help.

In this hot weather its usually the flies nibbling and rest of year no problem. Good luck

Only call vet if you think he is unwell.
 
Hmm after reading all this I am feeling.."inspired" to get out there and clean my boys bits too! On the times I have before I have been ready to pass out from the smell, so maybe some sort of dentistry mask should be on the list too!
 
My gelding gets very gunky and needs regular cleaning. He is not that keen and so now once a year at vaccination time he is sedated for a good clean. He has never had maggots, an infection or a bean but is always very gunky. Vets have always recommended only warm plain water for cleaning.

In between I have to clean it as best I can with warm plain water and sometimes I've used baby oil to loosen any sticky bits. Personally although Sudocreme loosens hard bits it's very sticky and I would avoid it. I would avoid anything that kills the natural bacteria supposed to be present in these areas otherwise you upset the balance and can allow opportunistic bad bacteria to multiply making it worse. I wouldn't use cotton wool either as any loose bits may remain and then the sheath needs to expel them causing more gunk.

I think bedding such in particular shavings can get up inside the sheath and cause irritation causing more gunk. However, we have to remember that the discharge is natural to some extent as skin cells die and these and any foreign bodies need to be expelled.

If his sheath is swollen then I would probably be getting the vet out to be on the safe side.
 
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