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I think cleaning sheaths is like suctioning a
tracheostomy patient's lungs - the more you do it, the more it needs to be
done. One of my geldings drops completely when he urinates and the smegma
dries and flakes off with the action. I wouldn't have anything to clean if
I did go after him. Once in a while, he'll be dropped while he's eating,
and if he has flakes I'll brush them off. His penis is dry and the skin is
loose, but very smooth. My other guy has a precancerous condition,
incredibly ucky and driving him to distraction with itching, especially during
fly season. I'm not sure how much longer I can let him go on, but he still
loves to eat and is holding weight well, so we're watching and waiting.
Fly season should be over in 4-6 weeks, anyway. I try to clean him weekly,
but just use the hose on low and try to get the outer gunk. My vet left me
some Torbugesic to give him IV once a month to force him to drop. I've had
his condition biopsied at Michigan State, and it came back atypical cells at the
epidermal layer. He produces lots of moisture, because he rarely drops all
the way - I think it hurts him to do so. His is damp and retained and
generally nasty, and his penis is fissured and grooved. He has pink skin
there, and parts are a chronic, angry red. As my vet says
"That's the ugliest horse penis I've ever seen." He is also the perfect
age for my three year old (17 years) and without vices, so we're trying to keep
him going. So the moral is, one I do frequently, the other I don't do at
all. It's like anything else - pay attention to what the horse
needs!
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