swollen sheath

Haylee

Haylee

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Hey, im new to h&h forums. Just need some advice on a swollen sheath and what is best to wash & has anyone come across it? Thanks, Ive cleaned it and have been to do it every 8 weeks? ;) (lovely job! )
 
I had a HW cob who's sheath used to swell in winter when he wasn't doing much exercise. Esp when feeding hay in the field as he used to stand and eat it and then not move for the rest of the time he was out!
Does the swelling go down after you have ridden?
Just a suggestion.
 
I had my beautiful boy pts in October due to cancer. It started with a swollen sheath (Don't want to be morbid or scare you)

Blood tests didnt come back with anything conclusive so we tried lots of things but he just kept going down hill and loosing so much weight. On the vets last visit we sedated him to give his sheath a good clean and take some more bloods and a urine sample. The sample came back the next morning and he was pts that afternoon :(

Im sure its just a smeg or something but please please please have your vet take more bloods and a urine sample sooner rather than later.

Good luck.
 
Is he fed lots of protein? My boy get its now and then if not worked, along with some other geldings at current yard. It's the protein rich hay, and for my boy his protein rich feed. Goes after working :)
 
My boy has got a swollen sheath again, happened about 3 months ish ago :( not very happy with me touching it this time either. He goes out during day and does do a fair amount of exercise in field, has soaked hay and only fed hifi lite and fast fibre. Am going to ring vet and have a chat in a min, worried it's something serious as he has been acting abit odd. He been lying flat out more than I remember him normally doing and when hes down he paws with his front foot am wondering if he's in pain. Seems fine every other way, eating normally and not thin etc :(
 
hannahmurphy said:
Is he fed lots of protein? My boy get its now and then if not worked, along with some other geldings at current yard. It's the protein rich hay, and for my boy his protein rich feed. Goes after working :)
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My older boy got a swollen sheath just before Christmas and we have put that down to a higher protein diet (which he is now off) and being stabled a little more - it has gone down now.
 
what would you recommened? Hes currently on cool-mix and molli chaf?
but he has swelling on his belly? just behind where the girth sits. So cant hes on box rest, could that make it swell more?
xx
 
The feed he is on is fairly low in protein then...that's what we changed our older boy from (putting him a 16+ mix). Keeping him stabled will mean less movement which can lead to swelling so perhaps more exercise (not ridden if you can't saddle him or bareback) may help. Has anything else changed recently?
 
A swollen sheath is generally caused by periods of inactivity/standing in. It is just a common place where fluid can pool, it normally disperses after work/turnout. Mainly older horses prone. Can get hot and uncomfortable for them. One of my boys had this during box rest, but was fine when turned out.
 
nothing else has changed, just box rest. He is 19 but hopefully he will be able to be turned out when vet is out next, and light excercise. thanks all ! :) xx
 
singing dawg said:
Why do people insist on cleaning sheaths these days? It's not a natural thing to do and is totally unnecessary.
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If you read books from the 1850s they cover weekly sheath washing it definatly not a new thing and was done weekly and after hunting over thirty years ago when I started work.
And as for saying it totally unecessary you have obviously never seen a horse with an infected sheath very nasty indeed.
 
Haylee said:
they toke bloods- but only tested for the liver? should i get more done?xx
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Does he show any other signs such as swelling over the eyes, fat pads behind the shoulder or a fatty rump? If so I'd definitely test for Cushings and IR - to be honest I'd test anyway if I had the money or was insured :)

You might want to google ECIR and read the website to get more info'. Treatment is either pergolide (Prascend) if Cushings or a strictly controlled diet if IR - or both!

Good luck:)
 
If he is 19 and on box rest I am pretty sure it is just fluid pooling due to lack of movement. It should go when turned out properly again.
 
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