Sheath issues....

[NinjaPony]

My vets are currently operating 'emergency only' services so thought I'd ask the good people on HHO for their thoughts on this relatively minor 'medical' issue...

My boy has always been prone to a gunky sheath. Normally I give it a wash using just plain warm water every couple of months which deals with the issue. Recently he has been kicking at it, rolling to rub it, and having lots of black gunk down his legs. Tried giving it a wash, made no difference. Got the vet out (pre Corona!) who found no beans, melanomas, flies, etc or any visible swelling. Vet gave it a good clean, and I applied a topical steroid cream to the outside for a week which seemed to deal with the itching.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and it is very itchy, and lots of gunk again. Due to lockdown my access to him is pretty limited but I feel he is uncomfortable...

He has sweet itch, so is going out in fly rug + mask, and is on antihistamines. Every morning he gets fly spray on any vulnerable bits, and I've been putting a bit of sudocream as a barrier on the outside of his sheath.

Any thoughts re why this might be occuring/is here anything I can do to get him more comfortable in the absence of any vet treatment? He's not in work due to the lockdown but he is out more so I've been trying to get on top of the sweet-itch ASAP.

ETA he's never had anything except water up there, I don't use 'cleansers' as I know they tend to make things worse not better

 

[PurBee]

The sheath has its own ‘friendly bacteria’ population balance and many sheath cleaners remove this colony, which can allow other bacteria to populate causing issues like gunkiness and or itching.
There was a thread about sheaths and this issue a few months ago.

Studies have been done on the type of friendly bacteria that populate the sheath and how traditional soaps/cleaners will affect this healthy colony causing potential issues.

Did your vet use a cleanser agent on him? You said he gave him a good clean. This couldve made it worse.

Using water as you were doing is the best way to remove any visual gunk without killing friendly bacteria.
Im wondering what couldve caused the gunkiness to build up and problems if you were only using water? is he bedded on new bedding that he’s finding irritates the skin? Have you had flies hatching when this started that have been harrassing his sheath?
With it being winter just gone, has he rolled a lot in mud, or been in a muddy paddock? My mare gets black gunky stuff build-up between her udders due to mud/dust...and she loves to itch her belly in the biggest pile of mud she can find!

Continue using just water and a safe barrier cream to keep him from being itchy. However, if sudocrem has any antibacterial properties that wont help the normal flora bacteria population to regrow. Maybe vasoline would be better, but that being petroleum based i cant imagine that aiding bacterial balance. Aloe vera is also anti-bacterial although soothing for itchiness, but also wouldnt be suitable.
Google ’how to repopulate sheath bacteria’ to find out what people these days recommend.

Humans also have genital specific friendly bacteria and when that is imbalanced yogurt is traditional topical remedy, aswell as mixed species bowel probiotics. This approach might be helpful to horses too.

 

[Archangel]

Natural live yoghurt bought up to room temperature so it really is live. Apply liberally every day.

 

[PurBee]

The recent emergence of small biting black flies have been harrassing my geldings sheath. Hes been kicking more and was slightly swollen due to bites. Sometimes there’s small black bits on the sheath which are dried blood, within days these are gone and no visual fly bites are seen.
Your gelding may be experiencing these bites these past few weeks hence why he’s been keen to roll and rub, so the mud catches in crevices and gunkiness ensues....then a few more bites, he rolls again, is itchy, more gunk...?

I hate these small biting black flies - theyre like house flies, only smaller - they emergence especially in rural areas during the first signs of spring warmth and are hard to spot, unlike midges/mosquitoes/horseflies.
They also bite us humans, they go for your waisband and bite around back/belly, they also bite my dogs bellies if theyre lazing in the sun.

 

[Fransurrey]

I empathise with you, OP. When I bought my boy just over a year ago, I noticed the same thing - he's got a cheesy d***. I have cleaned it out, got beans out, used water only, tried leaving it alone... he gets cling ons. Little blobs of smegma and these appear to tickle him when they dangle and attract flies - I pull them off when I see them. I read somewhere that Vagisil was a good option, as it's formulated to not disturb the balance, so I got my Mum to buy some for him, as water isn't enough to loosen the smegma inside. I've yet to use it, yet. Never known anything like it (and vet had a look at him, too, whilst he was sedated for a dental). I never had to touch my old boy's sheath at all!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I hate to go there but have you got your hand right up, like into the first bit then you feel the end of the willy at an opening at the top. With a lubricated hand you can go up again. My old horse used to get maggots right up there ?
I always knew as he’d start colicky symptoms and without fail that’s what it would be.
I quickly had to overcome squeamishness and luckily he absolutely loved it (only if he’d required it!!)

 

[RHM]

My pony had this and kept getting reoccurring infections, turned out it was caused by EMS now we have that under control his willy is a happy place once more! Just a thought! Good luck with it!

 

[Chianti]

My pony gets the gunky dark red bits around the sheath and clinging to his coat. Vet advised me to use liquid paraffin. I smear this onto his willy when he drops it and try to get some up into the sheath. Does seem to help. I miss having a mare.

 

[PurBee]

My gelding would need sedating for any genital interference....if he’s itchy due to flies i can scratch his belly closeby but any closer and i get a warning rear leg lift and tail swish. So i keep a close eye on him being able to pee easily as i know its a vet call for anything needing closer handling.
It amazes me how many on here say their geldings are fine with sheath cleaning/handling....whats the secret to surviving the inspection?!

 

[shergar]

My gelding would need sedating for any genital interference....if he’s itchy due to flies i can scratch his belly closeby but any closer and i get a warning rear leg lift and tail swish. So i keep a close eye on him being able to pee easily as i know its a vet call for anything needing closer handling.
It amazes me how many on here say their geldings are fine with sheath cleaning/handling....whats the secret to surviving the inspection?!

There is a page on Facebook Equine hygiene ,well worth a look .

 

[NinjaPony]

Thanks for the replies! I think it's a bit of a vicious cycle; it gets itchy when there are flies around, he then rolls and rubs it, which irritates it more and causes the sheath to produce more smegma in response!

I gave it a good clean with water today which he definitely appreciated and put some of the vet prescribed cream on. Will have to try and keep on top of it for the time being. I've got a new fly gel which I will put on the external bits only to try and keep the midges away and see if that helps...

 

[Reri1826]

Might be worth trying Piriton (or supermarket own brand) anti histamines as well as some of the above treatments. I give my boy 6 a day when he is similarly uncomfortable (16.3hh weighing around 675kg)

 

[NinjaPony]

Good suggestion-he is actually on 20 histamines a day for his allergies already bless him (own brand cetirizine) as he is allergic to midges, horse-flies, oats and maize!

 

[Kind horse lover]

I washed my horse’s sheath out with water and gentle peeled off the gunk with nails as couldn’t remove all with water. I don’t think it had been done before and his Willy was getting stuck in this sheath. I then used simple soap lathered to get the rest out, which I also use on myself with no ill effects. It’s not perfumed or coloured. My friend swears by baby oil. Beans I did with the end of my finger in stages, I just had to watch the raised leg. We have a lady who comes round and Willy and sheath washes but I’d rather do it myself as I wouldn’t use the commercial products as it removes natural bacteria. If he has his Willy out I gently brush off the cornflakes with my hand so he doesn’t have a big build up. He’s not keen I just need to be patient and give him a big pile of hay to distract him.

 

[nagblagger]

Old thread..