Swollen sheath help

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soloequestrian

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Aargh, it never rains but it pours. My gelding is just getting over the infections caused by leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and today has come in with a warm and swollen sheath. He is borderline Cushings, on Prascend, and has been overproducing smegma for a while now. I'm careful to keep him clean, and he has had a swollen sheath before but this time it feels a bit different. I had a good furtle, and he seems clean inside, but the length of the sheath feels swollen this time, not just the sort of dangly bit that usually swells first. I had a really good look around it, and there may be a sarcoid towards the back, between his legs. He has had these in the past. If it is a sarcoid, it doesn't look inflamed or anything, just a small lump. No idea how long it has been there, or whether something like that could suddenly cause swelling.
Vet out tomorrow - horse doesn't seem to be in any discomfort - but I will be having a small nervous breakdown until then. Any tales of similar circumstances welcome, preferably with a happy ending!
 
SCC?Mine had cauliflower swelling suddenly appear on penis. No pain, but it was sudden. He was 25+ so not good outcome, but was treatable in a younger horse.
 
My little greys sheath swells when he gets laminitis. He has metabolic laminitis and the swelling is quite common in the sheath area with this my vet said.
Perhaps a possibility??
 
Thanks for the replies. He is 17.1, slim and on Prascend so I can't think it will be lami - he is happy within himself and has never had anything lami issues in the past. He is chestnut. The swelling is oedema-like, rather than a particular mass, and is a bit worse this morning. Vet out soon!
 
I've just taken my life in my hands and had a good scrub at what I thought might be a sarcoid, and a blob of pus came out of it... looks like he has managed to injure himself there. How, I do not know - it is right up between his back legs, just where the sheath starts to slope away from his belly. It makes sense in terms of how quickly the swelling has appeared, so he is going to have bute for a few days and I'll keep an eye on it. Don't fancy trying to clean it without any sedation, he is quick enough when he is drugged up!
 
soloequestrian said:
Thanks for the replies. He is 17.1, slim and on Prascend so I can't think it will be lami - he is happy within himself and has never had anything lami issues in the past. He is chestnut. The swelling is oedema-like, rather than a particular mass, and is a bit worse this morning. Vet out soon!
Click to expand...

A friend has just had her horse put down due to ongoing issues, which include low grade laminitis (the horse was on Prascend), and was very slim.

Good luck with the vet today.
 
Perhaps it was caused by an ingrowing hair? Hopefully your vet can shed some light.

Fingers crossed that it is just something simple like that. :)
 
Arrgghhh i hate typing this but its relevant to the swollen sheath. I had my share horse pts at the end of October due to cancer. It started with a swollen sheath, loss of weight and he went down hill within the month. The vets couldnt find anything to pin point the issue until the last two days when his urine samples and bloods came back. He was pts the next day :(
Not saying it is or anything like that but better to see the vet sooner rather than later.
Good luck and keep us updated :)
 
Phew, I'm pretty sure it is the injury that has caused the swelling - a good clean and some bute and it seems to be getting smaller. I still have absolutely no idea how he managed to injure himself up between his back legs. Perhaps a mouse sneaked in and bit him while he slept..... he is the king of impossible injuries!
 
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