Huge horse horrible about sheath cleaning

[Rebmik]

Honestly I've never had a horse this bad about having his sheath cleaned. Nor have I had one that liked it to hand out this much and stink this much! NOt a good combo! I've tried "approach/retreat", drugs, distractions (right!)
Yesterday I put him in stocks and he went balistic trying to kick out. Usually loves standing in stocks (has to b/c EPSM to get his hooves trimmed)
You would think I am trying to kill him...i'm very gentle, warm water...prior owner admited that she whacked it at shows in halter classes, so I'm sure this is why he is so bad. This horse you can rub, touch, tickle EVERYWHERE ... he is a "black lab" otherwise except this 1 area!!!

[Rick Burten]

Get the vet out to apply sufficient and proper chemical restraint.

[pines4equines]

I'm sure the whacking of the weener doesn't help and I agree with the drugs, mega drugs. Another poster on another thread said "Ahh, living through better chemistry." I agree with this because you can't get hurt just cleaning a weener...I mean try explaining that injury at the office water cooler....

[Rebmik]

had vet out less than 6 months ago. She said he was one of the worst she had ever done and he's usually a lightweight with drugs, but she had trouble getting enough into him so she could clean him and he was still standing, somewhat.
I can't afford to have the vet clean as often as he needs it.
He builds up black, gunky, stinky balls of the stuff and then it gets to the point where it is on the front of his hind legs.
A lot of people say you are probably cleaning too much...which is not the case, because you can't!
I just don't know how to get this, otherwise very sensible horse, to understand cleaning his sheath is not going to kill him!

[TropicalStorm]

Hrmm...someone suggested to me to squirt baby oil up there and just let it do its own stuff. Quick and easy. Tried it with my rather pissy gelding, and it seemed to take care of most of the problem. It doesn't clean as well, but it might be sufficient to take care of some of the gunk until the vet can come out 1-2 times a year.

Just a thought!

[Laurierace]

You are probably going to need a cocktail of drugs as well as a twitch to do a thorough job. I would try desensitizing him with a warm water hose if you have access to that. You can stand far enough away that you won't get hurt if he does kick. Start by directing the stream onto the outside of his sheath for a split second. Praise/treat if he tolerates it and move on from there. Eventually you would like to be able to stick the head of the hose into his sheath to knock much of the gunk off that way. One good cleaning followed by occasional KY or baby oil applications rinsed off with the hose the next day should take care of most of the problem.

[Rebmik]

I was attempting to remove a tick up behind that area and he flipped out!
When vet came she used a major "cocktail, and twitch" still had limited window.
someone had suggested ky, which I would attempt to put up there before I'd ride last summer then hose out.
He just seems to be getting worse,not better.:confused:
I'm talking he STINKS!!!!!!!

[Laurierace]

I am somewhat of a professional sheath cleaner. How that came about is beyond me, but it is what it is. I cleaned one horse that really stunk. Being that they all stink it takes a professional nose like mine to differentiate between stink and STINK. The horse had a yeast infection. Could explain why he is so sensitive about it as well.

[Penthilisea]

Ivory soap squirted up there, followed by warm water hose squirting. Adding baby oil will NOT remove the oily build up or clean the skin. I like the back scrubbies they sell in the supermarket for those hind leg build ups- it gives me distance and access. My TB is like this, no matter how often or Un-often you clean him he has a certain odor.

[Rebmik]

I am somewhat of a professional sheath cleaner. How that came about is beyond me, but it is what it is. I cleaned one horse that really stunk. Being that they all stink it takes a professional nose like mine to differentiate between stink and STINK. The horse had a yeast infection. Could explain why he is so sensitive about it as well.

how can i tell if he does have a yeast infections?(hopefully w/o vet, no $$$ right now!) if he does have a yeast infection how to treat? Too bad computers don't have scratch and sniff! i'd let your "professional nose" have a sniff. It is an altogther "different" odor! He almost always smells like that, but when his sheath is dirty it permeates all the air around him:sadsmile:

[goeslikestink]

Hrmm...someone suggested to me to squirt baby oil up there and just let it do its own stuff. Quick and easy. Tried it with my rather pissy gelding, and it seemed to take care of most of the problem. It doesn't clean as well, but it might be sufficient to take care of some of the gunk until the vet can come out 1-2 times a year.

Just a thought!

that was me as thats what i do, it does help the horse and most of the problem if its needs to be sprayed more often then thats what you do
cleaning his whatknot hurts to as it skin and crap that stuck to sensitive parts of his wille
everytime you pull it off you cause a sore which then leaks like ssores do but becuase its where it is ti get dirty so goes black- as it a mixture of gunk...

[Laurierace]

how can i tell if he does have a yeast infections?(hopefully w/o vet, no $$$ right now!) if he does have a yeast infection how to treat? Too bad computers don't have scratch and sniff! i'd let your "professional nose" have a sniff. It is an altogther "different" odor! He almost always smells like that, but when his sheath is dirty it permeates all the air around him:sadsmile:

How to tell and how to treat are questions I can't answer. I just passed the info along to the owner that something wasn't right in there and they got the vet. What he did I don't know. I guess you could try monistat or something like that but if he won't let you clean him he most likely won't let you do that either.

[dwblover]

Though they are rare in horses, it does really sound like your horse has a yeast infection of the sheath, as suggested. Washing with equal parts vinegar and water can help, but you really may need to get the vet out on this one. It can become an internal infection if left untreated long enough. A urinalysis or sample of the smegma can probably tell you if it is a yeast infection for sure.

[Penthilisea]

Garlic usually will combat yeast, or plain unsweetened yogurt.

[twofatponies]

OMG I'm glad I have a mare. :eek:

Sounds like you need to deal with two separate things: 1) get vet out and analyze gunk (and do a cleaning while the vet is at it anyway), to see what's so stinky. Then 2) train/desensitize horse over time to allow normal cleaning.

It's probably going circular on you: if he has an infection/problem of some sort, which sounds likely, that is probably making him extra sensitive to cleaning, but then he really needs the cleaning (with appropriate medications) to clear up the infection or whatever is going on...

I'd put out for the vet to get the infection under control first, then see if you can develop a strategy for training to deal with the regular cleanings - he might be easier to clean once the initial discomfort is cleared up by vet treatment.

White vinegar is great for yeast infections, but you should figure out if that's really what it is, and it might also be up inside the sheath badly enough that a more systemic treatment might be necessary to get it under control. Also, given how difficult it is to treat the sheath area on this horse, I think this is probably not the time to experiment with home remedies. Vinegar isn't going to work if you can't get it up in the places it needs to go...

[mroades]

I had one with a yeast infection of the sheath before. We treated with womens yeast infection meds...but you have to make sure you get the kind with NO ALCOHOL in it.

[OneFineMess]

I figured heres a good sheath cleaning Q -

Does the penis have to be fully dropped in order to clean it to an acceptable level?

[dwblover]

Nope, you just have to go in after it, like up to the elbow!:cool:

[goeslikestink]

and thats what can cause a lot of problems as in going after it so to speak

people do wash hands and use gloves but germs are on us all the time as tiny mircoisiums
so when one stick hand up to elbow thats your arm up a place thats not not meant to be as in un natural so ther fore germs etc of your arm then cause irratations to the horse plus also can make it swell via width of arm so to speak or lenght so the they retract further in and germs go further into the horse

plus horse can get allergic to the actual gloves if used such as laytex


its not a done do thing as every single cleaning job ahorse shouldnt need to unless under medical advice or health reason
othewise leave them along as they do self clean add baby oil and spray it when out and around the rim thats all you need to do

yeast infections as surgested arnt common but do need vets attention and this is the only time one should follow the rules of cleanig a sheaf

[mkevent]

Not to sound like a kook but is he IR and/or a chestnut? Apparently chestnuts are more susceptible to "sheath problems"(physical,not mental)-and sometimes IR horses the same thing-at least that's what I was told by a vet, so I'm thinking there could be a grain of truth to that.
I started using Johnson's baby oil gel with aloe and I just coat the offending member when the horse is proudly displaying himself. That seems to take care of the crusties in between regular cleanings-of course, not thinking that would work in OPs case. I am wondering if he would respond to desensitization training-if he gets less ballistic, he gets a treat reward,etc.(believe me, I had to reword that sentence at least 6 times before it didn't sound like something from the porno channel!)
Anyway, just some ideas...

[Rebmik]

Penthilisea? How much garlic or how much yogurt? I didn't know if I could try this 1st...$$$$ is very tight and another vet visit isn't in this month's expenses since equine dentist just came to the tune of $285!

mkevent: He does have EPSM, don't know if that has anything to do with it, he gets veg oil mixed in w/ his feed.

[threedogpack]

he needs to learn that handling won't hurt. I always cringe when show people talk about smacking or hitting a penis because the horse drops in the ring. It's a delicate organ to begin with and it's in a bad place if he gets protective of it. I know I'd be damned if someone hit me if they'd be welcome to handle me later.

anyway here is what I'd do. Does he have some sort of treat he really really likes? Frosted mini wheats? Cheerios? Frosted cheerios? Alfalfa pellets? beet pulp?


then I'd clicker train him to allow me to touch him everywhere .around. his penis but not even touch his sheath, then to touch the outside of his sheath, then one finger tip in, then 2 etc.