My horses sheath

Question
one side of the opening of his sheath is swollen about the size of a gulf ball,any idea what going on? Thank you

Answer
Dear Laurie,

Thats a bit of an ambiguous question. I cant know what this is without being able to see it. However, this could be a mass, it may not just be the sheath itself. Horses do tend to get certain masses in that area including a squamous cell carcinoma and sarcoids. If it is just sheath swelling, it could be associated with a localized irritation or wound and could be granulation tissue or edema fluid. Get this examined by a vet. The appearance may be enough to surmise some probable diagnosis. It may also prove to be worthwhile to biopsy this site if is a discrete mass. This would specifically define what it is and thereby facilitate an appropriate set of treatment options for your vet to offer you. The horse should probably be sedated to facilitate a good examination of the penis and the sheath. If the swelling proves to be purely edema, after searching for some localized irritation or wound, your horse may require some bloodwork evaluation, because this can be a site of fluid accumulation when there is systemic illness affecting the GI tract, Chest, kidneys and blood protein levels. Good luck. Feel free to contact me again.