Swollen/hard sheath?

Question

just rescued a shetland pony this weekend from a home that was neglecting him. i noticed his sheath is a bit swollen and harder to the touch than my geldings. im guessing it hasnt been cleaned in god knows how long... do you think this is just from excessive filth or maybe a more serious problem? also..ive never seen this before but he has to drop all the way out just to urinate... is that normal? ive never seen a horse have to do that so im thinking hes in pain? should i try and clean it or will i hurt him?

and yes i know...call the vet..drrr. we just got him so the vet is coming out soon to give him shots/full exam

Answer 1

Well, I think ou've done all that neewds to be done. I wouldn't clean it until the vet gets there only because it could be something as simple as just a build up of filth, but also could be something very serious and you don't want to end up making it worse or hurting him in any way.

It is normal for a horse to put it all the way out to urinate, some do it some don't. Just a matter of what they feel like doing at the time. So don't worry about that at all. It's possible one of the reasons he decides to go that route is because he may be a little bit sensitive, but either way, when he gets better he will likely still do that just the same.

I suggest in the meantime to ease the swelling and his pain, just take warm/hot water in a bucket and just take a sponge and hold it on/in there for about 20 seconds at a time. It could ease his uncomfort if any temporarily until the vet gets there.

I wouldn't use any disinfectants such as alcohol or Iodine only because you don't know what the issue is and it could be very painful or make it worse so I would just stick to warm water or even the warm water with some sea salt in it.

Hope this helps :)

Answer 2

Yes, neglect. Some people just shouldn't own horses. I'm taking bets that he has a UT infection and probably paired with failure to clean the sheath and extract the bean is causing pain. If his urine smells and he's stretching out excessively your vet will most likely give you antibiotics to help bring down the infection.

Doesn't it just aggravate you when people purchase horses and not bother to do the research to know how to properly care then instead give excuses like,"What do you mean he has to have his sheath cleaned?"

Answer 3

It sounds like to me it just needs ceaning but i think you should get the vet out there before you do anything it could be a very serious problem!

Answer 4

I'd leave it alone and let the vet decide what to do.

That said, if you feel you must clean it, don't use soap.  Get some latex disposable gloves and K-Y jelly, which is water soluble so it doesn't have to be rinsed off, and use it to lubricate the tissues as you remove any beans and debris.  This will not irritate the tissues as soap and water will, and will easily allow you to cleanse the area with the least amount of discomfort to the pony.

Answer 5

I agree with galloppal, until you know what is going on up in there, K-Y will do the job and is water soluble and easy to just put the end of the hose up in there and let it rinse itself out...I wouldn't think that cleaning a pony would give you too much room to turn around up in there, (just joking, I mean, as compared to a horse, Mr. Hand just might not be too welcome into his, "private parts".)  As far as "dropping" to urinate, that is quite normal for many male horses, both of mine do.  While you are waiting on the vet appointment, take note of what/how much he eats, drinks, etc and if his urination appears to be uncomfortable and if it takes a while for your pony to get a full stream going.  See if you can also tell how often he goes, and if it is a normal amount, etc.  One more thing, see if there is any dribbling or drainage on the inside of his hind legs and if, when he walk, urine dribbles out.  It could be anything to as simple as squeezing a bean out and making way for everything behind it to a serious infection to kidney stones, so good for you that you are having a vet out.  I would love to hear a follow-up.

Answer 6

For now just clean it really well, and have the vet look at it when he comes out to make sure its nothing major.

Answer 7

I just had a friend of mine who had the same problem with her little Arab gelding!  I had her just clean the sheath out several days in a row and it went down noticiably after the first cleaning, but not all the way, it took about a week or two to get it back to normal.

Just get some ivory dish soap and put some in a bucket of warm water and soap him up inside then stick the hose with running water up there and SPRAY until all that comes out is clear water...

Answer 8

Like the others have mentioned it is probably filth but also a bean which your vet can take care of as well but watch carefully so you can do this process on your own from now on.

Just be careful if you procede on your own before the vet arrives as if painful he most likely may try to kick simply because it hurts.

Have you noticed whether he is really eating on a salt block? IF so remove it for now, too much salt intake can also cause the swelling.

Answer 9

When your vet comes out ask them to clean his sheath out for you. They may need to sedate him to do it.

For right now I would give him a good bath, and durning the process, use cool water and rinse the outside of his sheath, dont get water into it. If it is swoller, the cool water will help to releive the inflamation. Warm water can cause more inflamation. (Kind of like if you twist you ankle or knee you ice it. Muscle aches you use heat to relax. Swelling = inflamation= inflamation = heat. And putthing heat on heat doesn't help)  I would do this after you get him rinsed off. Then scrap as much water from his coat, and do the sheath rinse. If he will let you, take a soft towel and dry it off next to his body and the inside of his legs to help with chaffing.

When he urinates does he start and stop frequently? Does it look like its painfull to him and is he straining? Find this out and tell your vet about it also.