Maggots inside sheath , anyone come across this before ?

[maisiemoo]

My friends pony had a swelling to one side of his sheath , on further examination and washing his sheath inside it was found to be full of maggots, swelling looks like a horsefly bite, she has washed out with hibiscub and vet is coming in morning, has anyone else come across this before ?, glass of wine and bar of galaxy for reading unpleasant post !!

 

[dan5522]

Hi, we had a horse on the yard i worked on last year with exactly the same, we rang the vets and they said it was very common for this time of year and the only thing you can do is hose it out thoroughly and keep stabled in the day for about a week afterwards.... hope this helps... ALSO they (vets) didnt see any point in coming out and didnt prescribe any medication!

 

[Puppy]

Lordy! I would want the vet coming out immediately for something like that

 

[maisiemoo]

Thanks will pass it on, how gross though poor boys !!

 

[lindsayH]

My gelding had maggots in his sheath two summers ago. I just gave it a very thorough clean (including a good hose out), applied lots of cream and fly repellent and he was fine. He didn't have any wounds or swellings though, I caught it before they finished eating the gunk and started on him! I was in the 'let nature take it's course' school of sheath-cleaning thought, but my boys all now get done twice a year.

 

[Angelbones]

Yep, a couple of years ago we had a horse go to hospital for an op on his leg. When we picked him up he was all twitchy, so much so that i wondered if he had colic. Anyway, when we got him home we investigated as it looked like he was busting for a pee but couldn't go. Sheath full of maggots. It was investigated further by our own vet who said it was a particular type of stable fly and due to life cycle etc he could only have got them in hospital. Nobody's fault really, just one of those things. A good wash out with hibiscrub and a good rinse, then some fly spray all round and he was right as rain.

 

[LaurenM]

I've never heard of any horses I knowing having it but will keep a look out just incase!

 

[charmeroo]

Not wishing to worry you but my friend's horse had this and it turned out that he has melanomas in his sheath and the flies were getting in and thus the maggots. As previous posts have said - wash out. Preferably twice a day with Hibbiscrub and use lots of fly spray! Hopefully yours is just a fly problem and nothing more.

 

[Dogstar]

My mare has had maggots and eggs on her melanoma under her tail. I dealt with it myself. She now wears a fly rug 24/7 through the Summer and this seems to have solved the problem.

 

[Barleyboo]

We've had the vet sedate our gelding a couple of times to clean his sheath because he produces a lot of muck and has a serious problem with letting us near to clean it. The vet did warn us that we had to watch out for fly strike in the warm weather, though we've been lucky so far (touch wood!).

 

[JanetGeorge]

As previous posts have said - wash out. Preferably twice a day with Hibbiscrub and use lots of fly spray! Hopefully yours is just a fly problem and nothing more.

If you wash twice the sheath twice a day with Hibiscrub, maggots won't be the end of the problems!!! This is a very sensitive area - and Hibiscrub is VERY drying!!

One good wash with DILUTE Hibiscrub - followed by rinsing, and after that, wash every couple of days with warm water and a good sheath cleaner only until the area is clean and healed!!

It is notuncommon - my vet sees a couple of cases every summer - one or two have been VERY nasty with serious wounds (fly strike can KILL!)

So check those sheaths at LEAST once a fortnight! Not all geldings need regular cleaning - but more do than don't!

 

[EstherYoung]

One of our old TBs is prone to this - if cleaning doesn't clear it up, the vet has been known to give him a jab that apparently makes him taste horrid to the maggots and then they all drop off. The jab does work.

Fly strike is truly gross.

 

[Tinseltoes]

Ewwwww I frequently check my horse for Sarcoids (as he has one) and I always check the sheath so will keep a eye on my gelding just incase..Never had problem yet,but theres always a 1st time.
Hope you get it sorted soon.

 

[CBFan]

several geldings on My yard had it last year. Including my own, despite cleaning it fairly regularly.

We just used dilute hibbiscrub initially to clean it out and then applied summer fly cream over his sheath.

This year I have just been spraying his sheath with fly spray and so far it has kept them at bay.... I do keep a close eye on it though.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

god! never realised this was so common but in the last week iv heard of two horses with it, and now this thread!
iv always been lucky i guess-never had any of the boys suffer, i have noticed our grey's sheath is a bit puffy but had put it down to fluid retention as he's a very puffy horse generally....he isnt stamping/scratching/seems comfortable and there is no evidence of maggity things (and i do hose and sponge round that area once a week or so) but i guess i should get the rubber gloves out and have a proper look shouldnt i.......bleuch!

 

[stencilface]

but i guess i should get the rubber gloves out and have a proper look shouldnt i.......bleuch!

Yep

Trouble I find with ours doing that (one gets very dirty around there, esp in summer) is that they really seem to enjoy it

I can clean them in the field, with no headcollar etc - troubles me what they're thinking

 

[Theresa_F]

I have not had maggots but Chancer since the age of two has needed tlc is this area. He is one of those that gets very grubby, though is better since he now wears a sheath cover in summer which means he does not lie down and rub his belly and sheath like he used to. I rarely use anything other than just water and give it a gentle rinse with the hose or if it is cold, then clean squeezy bottle of warm water, and then use my hand to get out any muck and then rinse well again. He also has to have beans removed regularly - just one of those types according to my vet and nothing to worry about.

I had to clean Cairo more as he got older and am also now doing the gelding my niece rides who is now 19 and again needs a bit of tlc.

Chancer is rinsed weekly in summer and I check Jet out every other week. I used plain baby wipes on him and then a rinse as he is ok to do but not as good as Stinky so I am working on him. I have also used KY jelly when it has been very crusty to soften off the gunk first. In winter I get away with doing it once a month unless there is black gunge on the legs showing.

Personally I would not use hibiscrub as it can kill off the good bacteria which you want to keep living in the sheath, the more products you put up there, the greater the risk of this happening.

Luckily Chancer enjoys his cleaning, Cairo did as well and Jet slightly raises a leg to start with, does let me get on with it and is on the whole fine to do and I think he does appreciate not having a crusty todger and sheath area.