Vet for Sheath cleaning ?

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MJ_1993

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I need to call the vet for a sheath cleaning, i can never really get anywhere near my lad as if you touch he kicks and i have seen a large 'Bean' but again no way of removing it, he just wont allow it!

Will the vet do this?
I tried Sedalin on him to take the edge off but it didn't make the slightest bit of difference, he seems quite uncomfortable but it seems everyone else on my yard manages it without a vet? But i don't want to get kicked or cause him more discomfort!
 
Yes the vet will do this and will sedate - I don't really agree with aggressive cleaning of geldings sheaths unless they have a bean. If they do - clearly it needs to be removed and thats a job for the vet.

Edited to add - not all geldings get beans - in fact it is fairly rare. Mostly geldings get smegma which is different altogether. Beans must be removed, smegma is just something some geldings produce - are you sure all the geldings on your yard have beans? I would be surprised if liveries had the knowledge to remove a bean.
 
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sjp1 said:
Yes the vet will do this and will sedate - I don't really agree with aggressive cleaning of geldings sheaths unless they have a bean. If they do - clearly it needs to be removed and thats a job for the vet.

Edited to add - not all geldings get beans - in fact it is fairly rare. Mostly geldings get smegma which is different altogether. Beans must be removed, smegma is just something some geldings produce - are you sure all the geldings on your yard have beans? I would be surprised if liveries had the knowledge to remove a bean.
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Thanks, i know my lad has a bean as it is even visible when he has a wee! I'm not saying they all have beans, was just saying none of the other geldings seem to care about it, as in a general clean, as much as he does?! Which seems odd to me!
 
I called my vet out to clean my young rescue geldings sheath, as he had a very large bean and I just couldn't get close to remove it. The vet was also coming out for his flu jab, she tried to get out of the sheath clean, I think she thought it was maybe not needed and me being a fussy mum but when I explained I had tried everything myself she gave him a small sedation and got on with it. It was good to hear her then agree that it was a whopper and needed removing. Thankfully since its removal he is much cleaner and comfortable.
 
I too have chickened out and paid someone an extortionate amount to do it for me.....

Although, once I did turn him out with some mares and I guess it cleaned itself :D:D:D:D
 
tallyho! said:
I too have chickened out and paid someone an extortionate amount to do it for me.....

Although, once I did turn him out with some mares and I guess it cleaned itself :D:D:D:D
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:D Haha! I don't mind doing it with my older gelding - He doesn't care but my always oh-so-laid-back Irish lad objects heavily and a horse that has never raised a leg to anything all of sudden knows how to kick!! :O! x
 
MJ_1993 said:
Thanks, i know my lad has a bean as it is even visible when he has a wee! I'm not saying they all have beans, was just saying none of the other geldings seem to care about it, as in a general clean, as much as he does?! Which seems odd to me!
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If he has a bean it will be painful so you will be right to get the vet.

I don't really believe in cleaning geldings sheaths otherwise - I think if they have correctly balanced mineral diets they don't tend to need to be attended to at all - just my experience!
 
sjp1 said:
If he has a bean it will be painful so you will be right to get the vet.

I don't really believe in cleaning geldings sheaths otherwise - I think if they have correctly balanced mineral diets they don't tend to need to be attended to at all - just my experience!
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I actually tend to agree, i won't normally touch but i know when he's not quite right and although he's quite 'private' he won't wee if anyone is around etc, i have been spying to see if i can see anything! Thanks, i was just worried the Vet would think i was mad!! x
 
I feel that a horse that is good in every other way is allowed to have a thing. I wouldn't think twice if it needed a vet to sedate and see to it.
 
I think the fact he objects so much to it being touched is a sign it needs done. My little mini gelding is the sweetest thing ever, he would NEVER raise a leg..but in the winter i got him he was very touchy around his tummy area and if you went near the sheath he would get very aggitated. I clipped the area and cleaned it out and he had a lot of gunk up in there including a mini bean, which was large to him i suppose. He now enjoys tummy scratches and i can touch/groom the back end without any movement from him.

As for my big lad, he let me clean it no bother, and i got a bunch of gunk out that was about the size of a coke bottle top!
 
sjp1 said:
If he has a bean it will be painful so you will be right to get the vet.

I don't really believe in cleaning geldings sheaths otherwise - I think if they have correctly balanced mineral diets they don't tend to need to be attended to at all - just my experience!
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Until three years ago I could have written this. But now I own a horse who builds up layer upon layer of dead skin and smeg so that in only a week there is a stiff layer nearly half an inch deep on the ceiling of his sheath.

I tried leaving it alone for several months to balance itself. The result was awful and took a week to get cleared with vet lube every day. I spoke to my vet and he told me to use baby oil, which I've always heard was the wrong PH, but I did use it over the winter and it seemed fine. I went back to vet lube when the weather warmed up.

He has to have a squirt of oil/lube several times a week and it's just easier to do it every day.

He also gets a bean but doesn't make too much fuss of me hoiking it out with a finger. I get a butter bean every three months.

I have another gelding I never touch and I've owned them for decades and never touched any other gelding's either.
 
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ycbm said:
Until three years ago I could have written this. But now I own a horse who builds up layer upon layer of dead skin and smeg so that in only a week there is a stiff layer nearly half an inch deep on the ceiling of his sheath.

I tried leaving it alone for several months to balance itself. The result was awful and took a week to get cleared with vet lube every day. I spoke to my vet and he told me to use baby oil, which I've always heard was the wrong PH, but I did use it over the winter and it seemed fine. I went back to vet lube when the weather warmed up.

He has to have a squirt of oil/lube several times a week and it's just easier to do it every day.

He also gets a bean but doesn't make too much fuss of me hoiking it out with a finger. I get a butter bean every three months.

I have another gelding I never touch and I've owned them for decades and never touched any other gelding's either.
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Yes that's also what I did after the vet... after exercise when it's all hanging out... squeeze some baby oil on it or whatever oil you prefer. It's effective. I've worked on two studs and both did exactly this (except on the active males of course)
 
My horse won't let anyone near his bits so it is a job for the vet. Last year I got the vet to check him because he never relaxes if you see what I mean, vet examined him and said he has a like a ring of cartilage that stops it from dropping but it doesn't cause him any problems, says he was probably born that way. So I get the vet to give it a check and clean every so often to keep it all up together
 
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For all you complaining about your horse not letting you near, it could be worse, mine positively loves it. He even groans and lifts his leg out of the way for me. Giving your horse that much pleasure there is just wrong! Needs must though and although I try and avoid it as much as possible he does like to let it all hang out and has had maggots up there before so I usually clean it a couple of times through the summer months.
 
MJ_1993 said:
I need to call the vet for a sheath cleaning, i can never really get anywhere near my lad as if you touch he kicks and i have seen a large 'Bean' but again no way of removing it, he just wont allow it!

Will the vet do this?
I tried Sedalin on him to take the edge off but it didn't make the slightest bit of difference, he seems quite uncomfortable but it seems everyone else on my yard manages it without a vet? But i don't want to get kicked or cause him more discomfort!
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Yes he will and does my boy too, in the old days I had to do it in training school but now It is easier with vet sedation/equipment etc.
 
I've had my boy sedated a couple of times for this as he objected strongly and as everything really drops out it's also reassuring to know that there is nothing sinister going on and any objection is just one of privacy.

Mine has got more comfortable about cleaning over the years and I've not needed it recently. Last night he even after his bath let me cold hose up it and clean it out!
 
Casey76 said:
Do you never clean between your mares teats? That crease also gets really gunked up, and should be cleaned occasionally ;)
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I do and her bum sometimes but she enjoys having her tests cleaned so no problem ( even if it's a little disturbing) and she bears bum cleaning when it is necessary as she can get a build up of gunk around that area with only the occasional minor protest.
 
My boy has melanomas in his sheath so although he never has a bean, he needs the whole area cleaning pretty regularly. I get oral ACP (sedalin) from the vet to do this as he tries to take my head off without. The benefit of sedalin is it's also a muscle relaxant so it usually causes everything to hang loose and makes cleaning much easier.

As sedalin isn't enough for you boy you may find the vet will give him a sedative AND a shot of ACP as the normal injectable sedative doesn't have the same effect. It might be worth telling your vet in advance exactly what you need as injectable ACP isn't that common these days.

Once, a different vet from the practice came out to me. All he knew was he was coming to sedate the horse, he didn't know about the ACP. He gave my boy the normal sedative, then went to give him the ACP shot and realised the only stock he had was out of date as they use it that infrequently. A practice nurse had to rush a new bottle out to him while we hoped the first sedative didn't wear off! Luckily it only took 20 minutes - and I ended up getting it all free so it worked out ok!
 
A really barmy horse isn't helped by Sedalin - but the vast majority are - IF it is used correctly.

1. Give it to a horse who is calm andrelaxed, not when he's already het up.
2. Give plenty - half a tube is enough for a 16hh sensible horse - one not so sendible - give a whole tube to.
3. Wait for at LEAST 45 minutes before you try and do something 'horrible' to him.

I find very few geldings object to a nice warm and soapy sponge - followed by horse pipe to rinse.
 
Thankyou to all replies guys!!


UPDATE: Vet was out this afternoon, she said she would have a look without sedation just to see if he would tolerate it today, it was a No. So she gave him some sedation, and he let it all hang out. He did have a large bean that she said would have caused him great discomfort, so i wasn't going crazy after all!! All is well now =) xx
 
meleeka said:
For all you complaining about your horse not letting you near, it could be worse, mine positively loves it. He even groans and lifts his leg out of the way for me. Giving your horse that much pleasure there is just wrong! Needs must though and although I try and avoid it as much as possible he does like to let it all hang out and has had maggots up there before so I usually clean it a couple of times through the summer months.
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Nearly died with laughter reading this, Briliant!!
 
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