Swollen Sheath - Any ideas?

[Benjamin]

I noticed a couple of days ago that Benj's sheath is really quite swollen. He can still get his old fella out when he has a wee.
It doesn't really go down with work.
I did notice that his glands on his face were up to.
Do you think I should give his willy and sheath a clean?
Any other ideas?

P x

 

[Theresa_F]

Stinker was like this but he was also itching his willy on the ground. Course of steriods and frontline - think he had sheath mites or possibly sweet itch and he is ok. He still is more fleshy than Mr C but this may be the way he is made.

 

[charlie76]

Has he been in or standing still alot? Many horse get lymphangitis of the sheath.

 

[Benjamin]

He's not itchy at all!
Just getting me a bit concerned. He has no fluid anywhere else, well apart from the glands on his cheeks.
I have even tried some epsom salts to no avail at the mo.

I am tres

 

[Benjamin]

He hasn't been in but is not really doing much in his feild.
I kept him in for a few extra hours yesterday but went out in the afternoon and nothing shifted.

 

[sojeph]

could just be that it needs a clean:
http://www.horse-previews.com/197articles/197vetcorner.html

I don't as a rule but it could be that something is irritating it. Worth a try anyway...have fun

 

[Benjamin]

Thanks for that.....Isn't Smegma just the most disgusting word??

Right, off to boots to buy a HUGE tube of KY....recon I will get any funny looks??? LOL

 

[sojeph]

pmsl!! Smegma IS a gross word..along side PUS ..YUK!!

Enjoy

Hope thats all it is!

 

[MagicMelon]

My boy once had this happen after Id TRIED to be a good girl and clean it for him! He had a reaction to the sheath cleanser I used and it swelled up like a rugby ball and was almost hard to the touch.

What colour is your horse? The same pony above, a few years later had his sheath swell again - vet found sarcoids in it (he's grey) and so now its permanently swollen.

 

[Benjamin]

Enjoy? ENJOY??? My OH won't let me near him, or his food for at least a week after! And as for Benj, I WILL be in his bad books! His willy is for him and him alone!

 

[AmyMay]

Is he overweight? This could be one cause and also an indication of impending laminitis.

 

[Benjamin]

I don't do willy cleaning unless a problem warrants it!
He is a coloured horse but his sheath is black and his old fella white!

I will have a go at cleaning it with the KY tonight....

 

[Benjamin]

I wouldn't say grossly. Condition score of 3 ish. Can feel his ribs, spine and hips.
He is in work and is on a high fibre diet.

 

[joanne1920]

we had a pony at the yard whose sheath swelled up it just needed a really good clean, if his gland are up on his nech that normally points to an allergy, have you given him anything differnet recently or been in a different field? could be an allergy to a plant?

 

[vicijp]

Does he seem prone to skin infections of any kind?
My horse, with the serious sweat allergy (bacterial infections galore) is just recovering from a huge sheath infection. It blew up to about small melon size, and could just about see a few scabs in the 'entrance'. He also had scabs under his belly and up his batty crease.
He is hard to handle at the best of times, so was doped ('enough bloody dope in this to geld a shire horse') and attempt at cleaning was made. The only thing we could do was syringe weak hibiscrub/warm water into it. After this have not been able to get anywhare near it. Was put on bute and started to go down after a week. Wound powder was squirted in general direction of sheath/batty crease/belly twice a day - this is the only kind of treatment I can use on him for infections due to allergies so may not be the same for your horse. After the initial swelling went down he improved quickly with this (was rubbing himself raw around the batty crease). 3 weeks later he is happily lying down and appears back to normal.
ETS, he also had x2 IV of antibiotic and steroid. For a normal horse a few days of Trimediazine may be enough.

 

[JACQSZOO]

My friends horse has suffered with a very swollen sheath this weak. Initially he had a bit of a weepy patch on his belly just before his sheath, similar in appearance to fly strike that he suffers with in summer in the same place. The vet put him on anit b's and bute on Monday, today he is not better so has prescribed more anti b's. He said its called ventral midline dermatitis. Can't find anything out on it.

 

[Billie]

It may just be a circulation thing if he's not moving around much in the field. Billy's swells up if he has to stand in for more than 24 hours and then doesn't go down straight away, normally takes a few days of regular movement for it to go down completely.

He never used to suffer with it but I guess as he is getting old his circulation is maybe not as grand as it was!

 

[Benjamin]

Hi Vicjip,
Not infections as such but does suffer a bit with mellanders/sellanders. But the he is quite a resilient chap.
I had a feel of it (sorry) last night and there is no heat in the swelling, but will give the KY washing a go tonight and see how he is.
I will try and have a good look and feel (eeew). If protests too much then I know it will be more than just swelling.
Love 'Batty crease'!! PMSL

Paula x
Thanks again!

 

[Benjamin]

I will have a proper investiagte tonight.
He does get a bit scabby on his belly button but that is all fine at the mo.

Will let you all know how my willy investigations go

 

[Benjamin]

I did think of this, but he is out and mobile every day. He just doesn't do much!

 

[vicijp]

Even my vet now calls it 'batty crease powder'.

 

[Benjamin]

LOVE it!!

 

[catembi]

My horse has got a swollen sheath at the mo & it's cos he's got protein losing enteropathy so protein is leaking out of his digestive system and...making things swell up. You'd know if you had that tho cos you'd also be off food & have extremely bad guts.

 

[halo320]

dito,i noticed my old horse has a swollen sheath 2day. its really filled with fluid and wobbles like jelly wen i touch it. he is fat and he's kinda droopy! but with the fields being so wet the mud gets into it and i think thats whats irritating him. he keeps kicking at himself and it looks like hes got colic. but having been a stallion for some time doesnt mind me giving it a good clean now and again!!!! i didnt want to fone the vets again..between dogs and foals ive had enuff encounters with them lately!

 

[halo320]

dito,i noticed my old horse has a swollen sheath 2day. its really filled with fluid and wobbles like jelly wen i touch it. he is fat and he's kinda droopy(as u can see from the pic!!) but with the fields being so wet the mud gets into it and i think thats whats irritating him. he keeps kicking at himself and it looks like hes got colic. but having been a stallion for some time doesnt mind me giving it a good clean now and again!!!! i didnt want to fone the vets again..between dogs and foals ive had enuff encounters with them lately!