Infected sheath?

[SugarCubes]

A few weeks ago I noticed my 20 year old gelding’s sheath looked a little swollen. I gave him a good cleaning, he only had one tiny bean, but a lot of slimy, goopy smegma. Swelling went down and he seemed to be better.

Noticed the past couple of days it started to swell again, so I went to inspect and clean it today and his entire sheath is just covered in slimy smegma. Not like the flaky pieces you can pull off, like each time I stuck a sponge up there it was covered in smelly gray slime.

Vet is coming out anyway for spring shots, so I’ll have her look, but just for my knowledge could it be infected? What would cause that?

[cnd8]

When you are cleaning it, are you just cleaning the shaft and the inside of the tip, or are you sticking your arm up there and cleaning the whole recessed opening that it retracts back into?

[NancyM]

If you use a “product” to clean a sheath, any soap or other “product” sold for the purpose, the skin can react to that, which can cause inflammation and infection. If you MUST clean a sheath, either just pick it clean and remove the bean, or use ONLY water. This way, it is less likely to cause a problem with the skin. It doesn’t have to be “squeaky clean” in order to be healthy. The natural bacteria on the skin inhibits infection by problematic bacteria. Don’t “clean” it too thoroughly. “Check” the situation regularly, check for problems or beans, pick the “rust” (smegma) off it, but “wash” it at your (and your horse’s) risk. Often, the more people “wash” it, the worse it gets. It was not “designed” to be “washed”.

[downen]

I have a gelding whose sheath is pretty much always a slimy mess. Like you, I had the vet out and he cultured but couldn’t find anything. Apparently he just has a really nasty sheath.

The solution for me has been to use Lotrimin powder to help keep it dry. Occasionally I will go in and use and old tube sock to clean it out, but it’s nasty again in a day or so, so I just consider powdering it part of his daily maintenance. And yes, it does swell at times, though not consistently. His main issue is that he’s itchy all the time down there. The powder helps, but when he’s bad, he’ll lift his leg like a dog and ask me for some relief. Poor dude has jock itch

[SugarCubes]

I stick my arm up there as far as I can LOL! He’s very good about it, and doesn’t mind me messing around up there. I don’t use anything but warm water and a sponge.

[SugarCubes]

Good to know! He doesn’t seem bothered by it in the least bit, so hopefully it’s not a big deal. I’m sure it’s bothering me more than him at the moment!!

[downen]

You’re doing the right thing having the vet check him though. You don’t wont to overlook anything. But if he seems pretty comfortable he might just be another nasty sheath boy, needing a little more attention than some geldings. I had a gelding going on 40 whose sheath was immaculate, I rarely had to clean it. They’re all different. Good luck!

[SugarCubes]

@downen

You’re doing the right thing having the vet check him though. You don’t wont to overlook anything. But if he seems pretty comfortable he might just be another nasty sheath boy, needing a little more attention than some geldings. I had a gelding going on 40 whose sheath was immaculate, I rarely had to clean it. They’re all different. Good luck!

Thanks! I’ve had him for over 10 years and have never had this problem before, he’s usually pretty clean. Can it change as they get older?

[NaturallyHappy]

Sometimes PPID can have a fatty or swollen (in appearance) sheath.

[downen]

That would be a good question for your vet. My guy was 15 when I got him and I cleaned out a bean the size of a walnut, poor guy, so I’m guessing he’s had sheath issues for some time.

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that endocrine issues can cause excess smegma, but I had my guy tested and he’s all good.

[SugarCubes]

Thank you, @NaturallyHappy and @downen! I will ask my vet about that. I just cleaned it again with warm water and a sponge and he’s squeaky clean…I’ll be curious to see how long that lasts!

It did dawn on me as I was doing that, that I pulled a bunch of ticks off of him yesterday…several were between his hind legs and he did have some seed ticks on his sheath. I wonder if it’s just a reaction to that and maybe the swelling is unrelated to the dirty sheath?

[ThreeWishes]

I have always used water based lubricating jelly, a sponge, and water. The water based lube rinses easily away and really eases out all the grime from the penis as well as the garage where it lives. The people at the dollar store likely think I am a pervert when I roll up and purchase an armload of personal lubricant. I also agree some horses are grosser than others and that certain conditions may contribute. Also having a horse that rolls like a burrito in the dirt and likes to scritch his belly on the ground can pack in the grime.

[luvmyhackney]

If you picked off ticks, that’s the likely culprit. Otherwise swollen sheath is one of the first signs of my pony trying to founder or having a sugar flare as I call it. So be careful and watch it.

[CindyCRNA]

Yeah and I wouldn’t tell the dollar store all that lube was for my horse!

[ThreeWishes]

Right ? That’s somehow creepier !

[J-Lu]

You’ve got great suggestions here.

I’ll add using hot-ish ~100-101 (no hotter than pretty warm on your skin) degrees rather than plain warm water to clean the sheath. IF your horse is like mine, he’ll happily drop for a full cleaning. I also don’t use detergents just my hands and water. It sounds creepy, but I know how to get my gelding to drop.

That said, my horse drops if I do carrot stretches and he’s so easy to check for beans. He’s an exhibitionist - shield the eyes of the children!

Do check in on what your vet says. I’m curious!

[SugarCubes]

@luvmyhackney

If you picked off ticks, that’s the likely culprit. Otherwise swollen sheath is one of the first signs of my pony trying to founder or having a sugar flare as I call it. So be careful and watch it.

Well, I believe it’s definitely swollen from ticks…my mare also has swelling between her hind legs where I pulled ticks off of her! Poor ponies.

[GoodTimes]

I was just going to say this. My horses will drop 100% of the time if we do carrot stretches. Not only does it make things easy for cleaning, but I can routinely take a quick look to make sure everything looks ok.

This past winter was the first time in a couple years that I bothered cleaning the younger guy’s sheath. I noticed some swelling after a cold stretch, he lives out 24/7 and I don’t think he was dropping to pee, so things got grimy up there.

My other gelding doesn’t get “cleaned” at all. Sometimes he’ll get flakes that can come off, and the odd bean. But he never gets sticky smegma like the younger guy.