willy washing

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Landcruiser

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I'm hoping someone can signpost me to the famous willy washing thread - I just can't find it.

Noticed last night my 24yr old gelding has a hot swollen sheath. He's otherwise very well, happy, good weight, eating etc. I had a bit of a clean with warm water and cotton wool and it was a little bit mucky in there, but really hardly at all by the standards of some of the photos I've seen. I couldn't get him to drop (and I don't blame him as it was about -5 at the time!). He had bute last night and this morning, but it's still the same. My plan is to give him some sedalin to see if I can get him to drop, and have another go, and also try a bit of cold hosing (🥶)if I can unfreeze the hose. Also tempted to go for a gentle hack, to keep him moving rather than standing around stuffing hay - any reason why not?

Any other tips gratefully accepted. Trying to avoid yet another vet call out if I possibly can - I like my equine vets but I've seen a bit too much of them lately! (Obvs will get them out if plan A doesn't work)
 
If you brave enough and he’s kind enough you can get hold and pull it down .
I was suprisend when I first saw my friend a vet do this years and years ago .
The other thing you can try is get everything ready and keep the horse in a sable with no bedding for a while then put him in his stable with a nice new bed and hopefully he will pee and you can pounce.
 
Hot swollen sheath is a warning sign of inflammation and potential laminitis. Not usually a sign of a willy in need of washing. Personally, I would check his feet for pulses. The freeze over the last week means sugar levels are high - and I notice you say he’s a good weight.
 
If he has some management change because of the cold weather that can cause swelling down there and it’s not due to dirt it might settle with the bute and exercise .
If it is muck causing infection you probably will need the vet to get on top of it.
years ago Fatty had an infected sheath / Willy when he arrived with us that took a vet to sort .

Either way if you are not on top of it by Monday you will need to vet .
I would not give bute for more than a couple days without advice .
 
I have a job getting Dex to hold his in.....
Recommend a professional willy washer if there is one local, ours is cheaper than a vet call out and very good
 
mustardsmum said:
Hot swollen sheath is a warning sign of inflammation and potential laminitis. Not usually a sign of a willy in need of washing. Personally, I would check his feet for pulses. The freeze over the last week means sugar levels are high - and I notice you say he’s a good weight.
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He's on a large yard/turnout on hay and haylage, feet are bare and rock crunching. Good weight, for him, means not porky and I can easily feel ribs (not see because he's so woolly). Bad weight for him means porker. I don't see any signs of laminitis at all, thankfully.
 
meleeka said:
I could never get mine to drop is, so I just had to go elbow deep and have a rummage. He loved it 🤮
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My old horse was the same. I could almost literally get up to my elbow 🤢 he used to get maggots so it was a regular necessity.
He loved having it done and would stand with one hind leg in the air for me 😂
 
It can be a side effect of Cushing's in older horses. If he hasn't been moving around as much due to the weather that might have made it worse. My vet said to give Bute for it and it worked well.
I am fortunate to have a warm water hose and I swill out with that occasionally.
 
When mine had a swollen dirty sheath area he had a yeast infection. Plain unscented soap was the recommendation for cleaning.
 
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