Dirty or Shy?

I rescued a gelding earlier this year, and I have noticed he has some weird tendencies when urinating.
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Q:I rescued a gelding earlier this year, and I have noticed he has some weird tendencies when urinating. I haven’t seen him drop his penis, so when he urinates he just pees and then he starts to walk away while still ­urinating. I have other geldings, and they always extend their penis when they urinate, so that is why this concerns me.

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A:Geldings are just like boys–they may urinate standing up or sitting down, or even walk while urinating. So this odd behavior may be normal for your new gelding. The most common medical reasons for a gelding not to drop while urinating include massive collections of dirt and grime (smegma) in the urethral diverticulum (often called "beans") and on the sheath; an allergic reaction or inflammatory response; squamous cell carcinoma (a cancer); habronemiasis (a disease caused by parasites in the urethral process); or a normal reaction for a specific horse.

I would recommend having your horse’s sheath cleaned (see www.TheHorse.com/Video.aspx?vID=533 for a how-to video) at least once or twice a year (some males’ sheaths are dirtier and may require more frequent cleaning). Cleaning a stallion’s or gelding’s sheath can be very beneficial. With mild sedatives (which should be administered by your veterinarian), most male horses will extend their penis. This gives the veterinarian an opportunity to examine the anatomy for any abnormalities or suspicious masses

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Written by:

Kati Lukas, DVM, is a veterinarian with Lukas Equine Veterinary Service in Barrington, Ill.

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