# Swollen Sheath



## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

Good Afternoon everyone 

My 19 year old gelding has had a swollen sheath for at least the past 3 weeks, if not longer. I only see him once every 2 weeks or so, so I might not have caught it right away. 
Possible factors that may have caused the swelling are as follows:

Approximately a month or so ago, I cleaned his sheath with Excalibur, which included removing a HUGE bean and lots of dirt. I read online that remnants of the Excalibur can cause swelling, so I re-rinsed and cleaned his sheath without the cleaner, and have not checked to see if the swelling has gone down yet.
A possible bug bite that may have just irritated his sheath, but I never found any specific bite marks, inside or outside where the swelling is present
- Metabolic issues, as suggested by my previous BO. When I first moved him to the new barn, I requested for him to be fed two quarts of Purina Ultium, morning and night. The BO mistakenly fed him a coffee can (which is somewhere between 3 and 4 quarts) morning and night. My previous BO had an obese gelding whose sheath was very swollen from his quick weight gain until he lost the weight.

Now, his feeding regime is around half a coffee can (estimated 2 quarts) of Purina Senior morning and night. I am still seeing how much I can decrease this amount until he maintains his weight, as previously, he would get thin during the winter (I live in the northern most area of the midwest). 

Also, after cleaning his sheath with just water, I rode him for approximately 5 minutes at a canter, and it appeared the swelling had gone down, as there was now wrinkles where the skin had previously been stretched tight. 

Also, he is vaccinated for all of the disease that are recommended to vaccinate against in my area. I say this as there was 2 cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis less than 2 hours away from me, along with a handful of unconfirmed cases. 

Attached are pictures of his current weight, his sheath from 2 angles before exercise, and his sheath after exercise. What could be causing this? Should I call the vet out immediately or see if the decreased feed helps? I am a college student and right now, it will be really difficult to afford an appointment with the added barn call fee. Thanks!


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

I would text those pics to the vet and ask how soon the vet can see him.

There are a few things that could be wrong, including desperateLy needing a good internal sheath cleaning.

But he is overweight so the safest thing is to get the vet out and while he's there, draw blood to check insulin and ACTH (that's for Cushings).

If you cantered him, that means he isn't lame at all??? .


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## Mewlie (Apr 14, 2017)

My gelding had the same issues during the past winter. I wasn't there, but the vet was called out. She said it was lack of exercise and had him hand-walked 10 minutes a day which helped the swelling go down. He still needs to be checked for Cushings (he's a chunko) but the exercise definitely did his swollen sheath good.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

walkinthewalk said:


> I would text those pics to the vet and ask how soon the vet can see him.
> 
> There are a few things that could be wrong, including desperateLy needing a good internal sheath cleaning.
> 
> ...



Nope, he's not lame whatsoever. There is no heat in the swelling, and it isn't sensitive to touch, it's just swollen. 

I am not too concerned about him being overweight as he usually struggles during the winter, and we just moved someplace where the low is -30, where previously it was only -10. 

Also, he has never shown any symptoms for cushings in the past, so I am doubtful that would be it, but I will still have him tested.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

Mewlie said:


> My gelding had the same issues during the past winter. I wasn't there, but the vet was called out. She said it was lack of exercise and had him hand-walked 10 minutes a day which helped the swelling go down. He still needs to be checked for Cushings (he's a chunko) but the exercise definitely did his swollen sheath good.


I honestly believe it is just lack of exercise. Every other year I have had him, I either was close enough to ride regularly, or he had a couple of young geldings in his pasture that would always play during the day. 

I know many won't believe me, but I don't think he is really all that 'overweight'. There is no crestyness to his neck, or fat pockets on his body. Even when he was in show condition when we would show every single weekend, his belly always was very wide, even while ribby. I felt him all over, and his ribs can still be felt with ease, and he is still at a baseline fitness. I should've mentioned that he has an extremely thick winter coat, and that accounts for some of his size in the pictures.

Thinking back to last winter when he was at my parent's farm still, he had a bit of sheath swelling similar to this, but he was fine all spring and summer. I have read that it can happen when the weather gets cold and they start standing at a round bale, rather than grazing all day.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

It could be swelling from general water retention. Is he athletic? Is he able to work hard? If not, could he have heart issues?

Also, just sitting in a stall or being to lazy to exercise can cause fluid retention.

A human's feet will swell. A horses' sheath will swell. (It is my understanding that senior male humans can get swelling in their sheath from sitting around; fortunately, I haven't seen a senior human's "parts".)


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

walkinthewalk said:


> There are a few things that could be wrong, including desperateLy needing a good internal sheath cleaning.



Also, when I re-cleaned his sheath yesterday, there was a normal amount of dirt. No bean, no huge amount of build up anywhere. I have had geldings for over 10 years and have gotten pretty good at getting all of the nooks and crannies. I really am thinking it may just be lack of exercise. I was just worried because there was a post on here maybe 2 years ago about a horse being very swollen around the sheath and ending up being put to sleep because of some health problem.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Please get those pictures to the vet for a professional opinion and you just might really need to find the $$ and have the vet do bloods and have a hands-on look-see....

My friend had a Paso who did not "look" fat, no cresty neck either but had the swollen sheath...
Hello....borderline IR he was and sliding toward it going into a full-blown episode.
Was not caught in time though...and the rest is unraveling today in what is now happening ongoing.
Horse was sound, now has off days...
_Don't ignore this..._

Horses don't get swollen, that swollen, and it linger this long for no reason.
You might say the swelling went down and maybe it did with some exercise but that is _*not *_normal looking at all. 
Letting this "go" and continue is not in the best interest of your horse....
You are the only one who can advocate for your horses health or not...
*Please make a call, speak to the vet ....
:runninghorse2:...
*_jmo...
_


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

Celeste said:


> It could be swelling from general water retention. Is he athletic? Is he able to work hard? If not, could he have heart issues?
> 
> Also, just sitting in a stall or being to lazy to exercise can cause fluid retention.
> 
> A human's feet will swell. A horses' sheath will swell. (It is my understanding that senior male humans can get swelling in their sheath from sitting around; fortunately, I haven't seen a senior human's "parts".)


For the entire 10 years I've had him, we have done eventing, speed events, jumping.. you name it, we did it. He is incredibly athletic, but for the past two years while I have been 10 hours away, he has been a pasture pet. During the summer, I rode him two or three times a week, and it was as if we just picked up right where we left off. I highly doubt that he has heart issues, as they would've popped up when we would do intense speed practices, or when we were on cross country courses.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

ClearDonkey said:


> *For the entire 10 years I've had him*, we have done eventing, speed events, jumping.. you name it, we did it. He is incredibly athletic,* but for the past two years while I have been 10 hours away, he has been a pasture pet*. During the summer, I rode him two or three times a week, and it was as if we just picked up right where we left off. I highly doubt that he has heart issues, as they would've popped up when we would do intense speed practices, or when we were on cross country courses.


_This is very different a living existence for him now though.
Except for meandering in a pasture he is basically sedentary....
He is also now in his teen years...
Bodies change, as does health...ours and our horses.

*Please don't ignore this.*
It very well could be a nothing or it could be a something and it could be a major something that if looked at, investigated for cause and treatment or tweaking of his existence could be changed for the better...
Without at least a consultation from your pictures taken you will never know.
__Tomorrow could be a very different scenario unfolding if truth is told and admitted.
Today is today and the horse is "normal"....or is he? :-? 
Make a list of how he was when you were competing, riding actively...and now...
You have already alluded to several changes you notice.. :think:
Those changes can start to add up...don't get caught, blind-sided. :shock:
Let *your vet* add up what they see, what you speak of and let your vets training, experience and years of seeing it before be a guide...

At least make a phone call, speak to your vet who knows your horse as his client, the lifestyle he led and what he is now doing. 
Let your vet make the professional call of what to do and how much to investigate...
*Please....*
:runninghorse2:.....
jmo...
_


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

horselovinguy said:


> Please get those pictures to the vet for a professional opinion and you just might really need to find the $$ and have the vet do bloods and have a hands-on look-see....
> 
> My friend had a Paso who did not "look" fat, no cresty neck either but had the swollen sheath...
> Hello....borderline IR he was and sliding toward it going into a full-blown episode.
> ...


I will call and get my old vets opinion, and see what he says. I currently don't have a vet now as the nearest is an hour away, and everyone around here vaccinates their own horses. There is a retired vet that does our coggins, so I will see if she could come out for a discounted rate.


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## Mewlie (Apr 14, 2017)

ClearDonkey said:


> Thinking back to last winter when he was at my parent's farm still, he had a bit of sheath swelling similar to this, but he was fine all spring and summer. I have read that it can happen when the weather gets cold and they start standing at a round bale, rather than grazing all day.


My gelding's sheath looked exactly like your boy's and it was in the winter too, standing around a round bale! He's cleaned regularly, so I knew it wasn't an issue with dirty sheath/beans and he's never become swollen during the non-winter months. I still would call out your vet, just to get peace of mind, but until then I would give him some additional exercise to make him more comfortable.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

horselovinguy said:


> _This is very different a living existence for him now though.
> Except for meandering in a pasture he is basically sedentary....
> He is also now in his teen years...
> Bodies change, as does health...ours and our horses.
> ...



I am not totally sure what "several" changes you are talking about. Other than lacking the fitness compared to when he was being ridden five days a week, and this swelling that also presented last winter (while he was skinny, and had been on the thin side), he is completely the horse I have known all of these years. Our equine dentist noted nothing wrong, and his final vet appointment in June before we moved him to my new area, he passed everything with flying colors. 

I will call or stop into a vet's office this week with pictures, and call my past vet who had dealt with my old BO's horse that also had swollen sheath problems.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

Mewlie said:


> My gelding's sheath looked exactly like your boy's and it was in the winter too, standing around a round bale! He's cleaned regularly, so I knew it wasn't an issue with dirty sheath/beans and he's never become swollen during the non-winter months. I still would call out your vet, just to get peace of mind, but until then I would give him some additional exercise to make him more comfortable.


I unfortunately can't get out more than once, maybe twice a week, just because he is a 40 minute drive away and I am a full time college student. I will go out hopefully early next week and try to exercise him longer to see if the swelling goes down even more. If necessary, I can problem find someone to lunge him, but once winter sets in, that just won't be realistic anymore. If he was showing pain or discomfort, I would be a lot more concerned, but he is his normal, happy self.


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## Mewlie (Apr 14, 2017)

ClearDonkey said:


> I unfortunately can't get out more than once, maybe twice a week, just because he is a 40 minute drive away and I am a full time college student. I will go out hopefully early next week and try to exercise him longer to see if the swelling goes down even more. If necessary, I can problem find someone to lunge him, but once winter sets in, that just won't be realistic anymore. If he was showing pain or discomfort, I would be a lot more concerned, but he is his normal, happy self.


The struggle of not being close to your horse _and _school! Even if you can find someone to just walk him for several minutes every day should help. My boy didn't show much discomfort either, but he did get some irritation on his stomach because he couldn't drop properly to urinate. Just something to keep in mind! I hope all goes well and it is only just an issue of the sedentary life.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

UPDATE: I reviewed pictures of his sheath from last year during winter after intense exercise, and his sheath looked 'deflated' from what I assume the swelling going down. I am calling my home vet today to confirm my suspicions, if not, blood will be drawn and brought to the local vets office.


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