Sheaths
- Thread starter MCEHORSE
- Start date
Yeah I know but he’s got a lot of Smegma flakes which are quite big and has been itching his bum a bit, was told this by an instructor whom is very knowledgeable and I have read up on it. Just wanted to know if you can or can’t use fairy liquid on it or not what else
Right ok was just wondering, I’d heard about it on another website and wanted to know whether it was true haha, knew it probably wasn’t lol
Would you want washing up liquid up your whotsit? It's a very delicate area 
Haha that’s what I thought! I seen it on another web and wanted to know if it was true!! Probably should have mentioned that on the postWould you want washing up liquid up your whotsit? It's a very delicate area
Some worms don't show up on tests, so you still need to worm for those at the appropriate time.
I don't clean my boys routinely and no way I'd use fairy liquid or any other strong soap. On the rare occasion they have needed cleaning I have found a little baby oil wiped on replaces the need for any scrubbing/picking, it just loosens all the nasty bits and they fall off in a couple of days without drying anything out.
I don't clean my boys routinely and no way I'd use fairy liquid or any other strong soap. On the rare occasion they have needed cleaning I have found a little baby oil wiped on replaces the need for any scrubbing/picking, it just loosens all the nasty bits and they fall off in a couple of days without drying anything out.
Bum-itching isn't a sign of a dirty sheath. A lot of horses get itchy tails at this time of year just because of the heat and flies - or it could be pinworm. Pinworm doesn't show up in normal testing / egg counts, you can only test for it by getting the vet to take samples from around the anus with tape and looking for the eggs under a microscope. Most geldings don't need their genitals cleaned and the general advice is to leave well alone unless there is an obvious problem / discomfort. Flaky dead skin on the penis doesn't do them any harm and will eventually come off on its own. Honestly I would just leave him be.
If he goes on rubbing it could certainly be pinworm, which is a real pain. My Mattie contracted them from a mare he shared a field with and they are very hard to get rid of. There's a lady locally who does all sorts of worm testing - she has a little home lab - and she'll do a sticky tape test for much less than the cost of getting the vet out, so you could have a look locally to see if there's anyone who could help you.
If you see long, thin, visible worms in his poo, then he probably has pinworm. But even if you don't he might have. Poor boy.
If you see long, thin, visible worms in his poo, then he probably has pinworm. But even if you don't he might have. Poor boy.
Our loan pony backs into the bushes in his field and stands and rubs his bottom. He’s been treated for pin worms this week ‘just in case’ although no sign of them in his poo. We’ve been trying to keep the area clean and moisturised to stop the itch but I’m beginning to think it’s become a habit and he enjoys how it feels. I also read it might be a sign that his sheath needed cleaning so glad to hear other’s comments about this.
Ivermectin used to be recommended but it's known now that it's not fully effective against pinworm... wrong ingredients. Westgate Labs recommend a double dose of Strongid P or a 5 day course of Panacur 5 day guard as they contain the ingredients that are most effective against it. Aside from that, hygiene is really important, so keeping the bum clean will help, as will disinfecting equipment and surfaces the horse's bum has touched, as it can be physically spread.
@JayneW - no sign in his poo doesn't mean he doesn't have them, it's just the adult worms that come out in the poo. The actual itching is caused by the females living just inside the anus and laying their eggs around it. You can only really "diagnose" their presence by doing the tape test and getting the vet to check under a microscope. If the itching persists I would definitely get that done.
Strongid for us did the trick. I've still got half a dozen doses knocking about on the off chance, but Mattie is not bottom scratching this summer for the first time in years. Makes me wonder if Ziggy carried them too, though he never tested positive for them.
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