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My horse is swollen in an unusual spot?

9K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  lovetojump 
#1 ·
Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum. I'm Taylor. I currently own a 14.3hh 10 year old, QH, Gelding. He shows in the 3'6 jumpers with me. He has been shipped from South Florida to Western Pennsylvania recently. From where I live to where I'm staying for the summer. He's been here for about 2 weeks now with no problems. Settled in perfectly and has been lightly ridden since. He was alone at my house in Florida but now he has a buddy who's a mare. They get along well. We had no issues until yesterday we noticed swelling around like the casing of his penis. Not the penis itself but the area around it that hangs down a bit. I don't know the proper term for it. But it was only the left side but now it's the right side too? I was thinking it was some kind of bug that's biting him cause he does have a mark on each side. But I'm not sure. Help?
 
#4 ·
I'll go out and get a picture now, it'll be up in a few minutes! :)
 
#5 · (Edited)
My gelding has this alot in summer, alfalfa plays a big side, and standing if he does not get out daily, when he is turned out, it goes down..we hit 110's here, so stocking is easier, could also be a bean, just inside penis, there is a little pocket that gets built up, and needs to be cleaned its easy to get at, is he does not mind you doing it..:) If you can clean inside his sheath, this will help with future problems...:)
 
#6 ·
My gelding has this alot in summer, alfalfa plays a big side, and standing if he does not get out daily, when he is turned out, it goes down..we hit 110's here, so stocking is easier, could also be a bean, just inside penis, there is alittle pocket that gets built up, and needs to be cleaned its easy to get at, is he does nto mind you doing it..:)
His hay does have a lot of alfalfa in it. He's turned out every night too (8+ hours) How would alfalfa have it swell it?
 
#7 ·
My guy, gets stocked pretty easy, straight alfalfa is very rich, and the longer her stands, he gets stocky and seems, to got to his sheath, but some horses it also effects their back legs, ...he does not have any heart conditions, he has been tested for everything , so in summer he goes on grass...and does much better
 
#10 · (Edited)
His sheath is def, swollen, I would suggest , start with cleaning is it warm? if he will let you , touch, please be careful... check all over for possible bites, but it looks evenly swollen, to me...not like a bug bite, being more so on one side, start there, he is urinating ok?
I'll try. But it started out on one side and moved to the other. That like indention in it has never been there before.

ETA: He's been urinating okay
 
#13 ·
*refraining from making a comment about the back of a Volkswagon and embarrassing myself with a Mallrats quote* :lol::lol:


If he was previously kept alone, and now is turned out with a mare, is there a possibility he could have mounted the mare (some geldings do) and picked up an STD?
 
#14 · (Edited)
*refraining from making a comment about the back of a Volkswagon and embarrassing myself with a Mallrats quote* :lol::lol:


If he was previously kept alone, and now is turned out with a mare, is there a possibility he could have mounted the mare (some geldings do) and picked up an STD?
I don't think so. Laredo hasn't tried mounting her and he's only been here for 6 days. Could it take affect that quickly?

ETA: I previously said it was 2 weeks but I didn't take in account that I've been here longer than him. I've been here for 2 weeks, he took a few days longer to make that long journey.
 
#15 ·
We had a horse at our barn that had that happen but I COMPLETELY forget what it ended up being.... so helpful i know :-/ but at least you can rest assured he didn't end up having to have a vet out or anything, so whatever it was wasn't serious. I know the girl cleaned the sheath and there was a lot of gunk in there, but I forget if that's all that was wrong or not.

Clean it, like others have said, if he will let you, and keep fly spray on it. :( ouchy... poor fella!
 
#17 ·
I would definitely start by cleaning him and checking for a bean. If you don't have experience doing that, ask your vet or an experienced horse person to help you.

My guy started swelling just a tad in the sheath area, and he had also been walking stiffly (which I was scared was his hoof trim or arthritis) but anyway, after cleaning him and getting out lots and lots of smegma (dirty, greasy goobers, lol) now he walks much better, pees right away (on rides he used to stop and try to pee 2-3 times before he actually peed) and the swelling disappeared after a few days after cleaning him.

I feel like I have my horse back, because he even rides better! :D

And it's not like he was never cleaned, I cleaned him earlier this spring. But I guess a few months can make a big difference. He didn't even have a bean this time around, he just had lots and lots of smegma, which can get rough and dry around the opening of the sheath, and that is what was irritating him.
 
#18 ·
My older gelding looks like that often, and with a sickly sweet smell. My vet described it as the equine equivalent to a chronic yeast infection, that will never fully go away. He overproduces some chemical that keeps his system out of whack. He has to have his sheath cleaned at least once a month or he swells up and is miserable.
 
#19 ·
Thanks everyone. We're going to give it a few days to see if it goes down. And if it doesn't we're going to have the vet come out. :)
 
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