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  Discussion on Very painful gelding masterbation
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New Member:
Dennie

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 4, 2006 - 2:56 pm:

Hi - I am posting this for a friend of mine who is around a horse with the following. I had mentioned a scope and a blood panel for starters. I have never seen a gelding masturbate like this; something feels wrong to me. Please, what are your opinions.

<quote>
L. is a 25 year old foundation morgan. Gorgeous black gelding. He has been gelded for a long time.

He has a bad habit of well... masturbating. He gets down on his belly, he rubs back and forth. His front legs are out in front of him in a V position. And his hindlegs are like a frogs legs. He has done this for many years, I just met him maybe 5 months ago.

I don't know if he is proud cut, or what his deal is. But we have had vets look at his private parts, and they are clean. The owners has asked several vets for opinions, and none have come up with a better solution than he is an old pig.

It didn't used to be a big problem you just ask the kids to look at the sheeps in the meantime lol, but now he is feeling his age. After he has been doing this (several times per day), he is hurting badly. I think he sprains his shoulders. I am half way through a massage course, and am using this on him. I can get him better in a 2-3 day period. But then he just does it again.
Right now he can't walk!!

Yesterday I came up there, he was standing shaking in the rain, soaking wet. He has shelter. But he couldn't walk. I got him into a stall, dried up with towels and put a blanket on him. He was having really bad cramps and it was miserable to watch him. We got some bute in him. He is well loved and his owner was crying.

I guess I just need help brainstorming.. Does geldings really having this problem? Or is there an underlying problem. Itching caused by something...

He is fed alfalfa/oat hay pellets with senior. Plus apple cider vinegar. He had kidney stones to the point of having to be put down some years ago, and an old school vet suggested the apple cider vinegar and it fixed it.

He is not currently on a joint supplement, but they are going to start him on joint flex which I have seen great results with.

I have also used an improvised heating pad on old horses with injuries before. I boil a LOT of rice, put it in a bag inside a towel which shapes nicely around a painful joint. I haven't done it on him yet, but probably will tomorrow.

Is there anything you can think off to either prevent the problem or fix it once it has occured?

</quote>
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Jan 5, 2006 - 6:43 am:

Hello Ann,
We avoid doing "third party" advice but I do have a few comments. Masturbation in stallions occurs but it does not look like this. However I do see horses doing this who have itchy bellies who get down and scratch this way.
DrO
Member:
Bucky

Posted on Thursday, Jan 5, 2006 - 1:31 pm:

Hi Anne,

I have an old gelding that does the same sort of thing. He will also kick at his belly. When it first started happening I thought he was colicking but he wasn't. It is actually somewhat agonizing to watch. His sheath is clean, a bunch of blood tests were done, two vets later and nothing showed up. I still don't know exactly what is going on but I feed him MSM every day and it seems to keep it under control. The reason I say this is because if I don't feed it to him it comes on strong.

I know, I know, no scientific evidence to back up MSM but if all else fails it may be worth a try.

Anyhow good luck, I understand your helpless feeling on this one....maybe he is just itching but it is awful for him to be doing it to the point he can't walk.
Member:
Paul303

Posted on Friday, Jan 6, 2006 - 1:18 am:

Just my experience: My QH mare had sweet itch. An allergy to a gnat like insect. She exhibited the same behavior - chest and stomach on ground and rocking back and forth. She could even manage to drag herself across the arena on her belly. She had her ventral mid-line a raw oozing slash throughout bug season. Nothing the vet did helped ( cortisone, antihistamine, benedryl, prednisone-although these days Dr.O has brought us up to date on prednisone). The only thing that brought some relief ( until we moved, by luck, to an area where culicoides AIN'T), was slathering on SWAT daily...a HUGE amount, and THICK. There was also an old ( 40 ) roping horse, QH gelding. His age prevented any wild contortions, but his wisdom allowed him to discover that he could side-pass over a small cedar, bending it over, and rocking to his heart's content.
This is the only time I've seen this behavior, and since moving to an almost ( in comparison ) bug-free area, she's never done it again. However, just this year, she's having some trouble with one of her stifles catching, and now I'm wondering if all those years of dragging herself across the arena on her belly, back legs splayed, could be a factor....although she is 26 now.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jan 6, 2006 - 9:39 am:

Lee is right this is most commonly seen in horses with sweet-itch which is culicoides hypersensitivity, see Equine Diseases » Skin Diseases » Hair and Coat Problems / Itching / Irritated Skin » Culicoides Hypersensitivity: Sweet & Queensland Itch.
DrO
Member:
Bucky

Posted on Friday, Jan 6, 2006 - 10:08 am:

Very interesting...Thanks.
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