Swollen sheath and peenie...

[TrueStepPaso]

....this has been an "on & off" problem for the last two months. I've tried cleaning the poor lil guy, but...I'm pretty sure I suck at it. :( Ugh, this is why I don't like geldings.

I'm going to call the vet if it isn't half-way normal tomorrow....

Any ideas?

[motorgypsy]

What you use for cleaning does make a difference. A vet I know uses ivory dish detergent and I'm looking at her and thinking "would you really want that stuff in YOUR nether regions"??? I don't THINK SO. The no tears baby shampoo or warm water or some glycerin with the warm water work pretty well but it does take time if they are really yukky. And they can get a yeast infection or an allergy to the cleaning stuff or just roll in something very irritating. Or they can have a growth or melanoma.

Good luck and hope it's simple and goes away quickly.

[Blair]

If the horse is also a bit cresty and eating spring grass this can be one of the signs of insulin resistance/Cushings issues also and can be missed. Just a thought since it is Spring and this is when the IR really shows and can progress to laminitis fast. My friends gelding gets a huge sheath when he is eating the grass.

[Linda Y]

That is right. Desi has Cushings, and he has a very large swollen sheath. The peenie is normal, though. He is one that has to be tranquilized to be cleaned so he is pretty dirty most of the time. I have had it checked several times and it is 'normal' for him to be so large.

[Valrory]

My vet uses the Ivory liquid (diluted) soap, but she also has them drop completely, grabs it & never lets go. She makes sure that it is hosed off really well, then puts furozone on it.

One of my geldings does not like getting his peenie cleaned & will kick. My farrier helped me one time & she used baby oil in gel form.

[CarolU]

If the horse is also a bit cresty and eating spring grass this can be one of the signs of insulin resistance/Cushings issues also and can be missed. Just a thought since it is Spring and this is when the IR really shows and can progress to laminitis fast. My friends gelding gets a huge sheath when he is eating the grass.

This was my thought too.

[TrueStepPaso]

Thanks, girls!!!

Everythings been fine lately, but I've still got to schedule a "peenie day"....I'm stalling though. I can't help it, it weirds me out.

Oh, and good call with the spring grass idea, but that's not his case...he's basically on a gigantic dry lot, so his diet is pretty, er, "strict", I guess you could say.

[DSDECKERT]

How about a bug bite? Darius got bit right by his sheath and was swollen for quite a few days

[motorgypsy]

Interesting about the bug bite.

One of our vets was in the middle of sheath cleaning and a male vet from a different practice drove up to the boarding barn while she was right in the middle of it. Believe it or not she was quite embarrassed.

I would seriously use no tears baby shampoo before I ever used ivory even dilute. You ever gotten ivory in your eyes? OWWWW and it's just as bad elsewhere because I used it as a child - mom didn't warn me (not that I would have listened hahaha) - and was I ever sorry. Painful to pee for two days after that.

You can buy glycerin in a drug store. Baby oil attracts dirt so isn't a very good choice.

A lot of people will use personal hygiene lubricant like KY jelly or generic brands which are a lot cheaper but some people are actually allergic to them also but they are a lot better than any detergent including Ivory and they won't attract dirt like baby oil and Vaseline petroleum jelly. Plain water does work - just takes more time.

[pnalley]

Ivory has been used since at least the mid 60's. I don't know of one peenie that dropped off (it should be diluted fairly well with water). That said it wouldn't be my choice.

I would be less likely to use glycerin. I do know it is a major component of most hand lotions. With a background in the printing industry I have used a LOT of glycerin. It helps you have "grip" on paper. It can be sticky and when used straight it also can develop some warmth. That is why I wouldn't choose to use glycerin. I just can't imagine trying to extend & retract with sticky glycerin. YUK!

Plain old clean water would be my choice. Our horses get hosed off fairly frequently when it is warm out. If you adjust your hose to minimal water pressure and just make a habit of holding the end of the hose with your hand (to protect the sheath from the metal end) and just hose them out, (kind of shake the end of the hose gently) you will find that you RARELY have to perform a sure enough sheath cleaning. Once it a great while you will have to do a bean removal. But mostly they will be shiny & clean with no harsh or sticky stuff added. BTW I have tried that special sheath cleaning stuff (Excalibur?) nasty stuff. Just plain water...............

TrueStep, do a good tick check of the entire sheath and belly area. I just noticed Flash has a sore on one side of his sheath with a little swelling, no doubt from a tick.

[motorgypsy]

I think that's why Ivory is used today - because it's always been used. Remember those commercials with the baby in it and Ivory soap (you have to be really old so i wouldn't admit it:biggrin:)

I've used water with glycerin and it worked fine. I wouldn't use it straight just because it's very slippery. Glycerin and rose water was one of the original ladies' lotions. it did smell good.

I prefer plain water also.

[pnalley]

A lot of hunters believe in bathing in Ivory prior to hunting because it doesn't have purfumes & additives. I'd bet by the time you get to your site in the woods that fresh Ivory smell is gone.

[DSDECKERT]

What about using Excalibur or a similar product specifically made for cleaning sheath area?

I use this on Bianca, she's had several babies and mastitis and gets very gunky between her boobs (she was a model for an article Lori did for Showtime on mastitis - to show how bad scarring can be)

[Valrory]

I cleaned Tesoro's peenie on Saturday. Started out ok & ended up with both of us frazzled.

I have a sheath cleaner (can't remember brand) and I smeared it all over with no problem. Tesoro was a little uncomfortable, kicked up at his sheath a little. I let it sit for a while & bathed him. He was fine during the bath.

Went back to the sheath & started pulling the "gunk" out. He got more & more agitated with me. Kicking at his belly, then moving side to side. Of course, this irritated me because he would shift away from me, then shift on me. I finally asked my husband to hold him (rather than him be tied) thinking that he might settle down. He only got worse & almost sat down.

I pretty much got the job done, but a simple chore it was not. I'm used to geldings standing nicely.

I'l have to try simply hosing him all the time.

[pnalley]

Deb, I mentioned that Excalibur stuff. I believe it makes it more difficult to clean the area. It feels gunky & sticky before you even start the job.

[Linda Y]

I use the Excalibur, too. It is REALLY hard to rinse. I quit using it on the geldings.

[DSDECKERT]

Sorry Paula - I missed that! I always have my vet do the boys, while Darius is pretty good, Jochi is out to kill you (he's a VERY private boy) and needs a good dose of sedation. I only use it on Bianca, which is funny since she's a mare! LOL but she builds up the same gunk.