[EP90]

Twice in a week one of my 1 month old cades collapsed while being bottle fed.  Its the first feed of the day with the lamb sucking away normally, after 30 second she just collapsed like a rag doll without any warning.  The first time in my panic I held her head down with the thought of milk getting into lungs but no milk came out of her mouth/nose.   Then she just revived, shook herself and wanted more feed and perfectly alright.  Second occurrence was identical, this time I just picked her up and after a minute she came round and was as right as rain.  Absolutely no obvious symptoms.  Is not as though I could show a vet, other than a check up.   Other cades are fine.   Any ideas?

[Buttermilk]

At two months I would wean the lamb.

[kanisha]

Have had a lamb with Narcolepsy. During periods of emotional excitement she would collapse - made feeding her quite difficult!!

[Fleecewife]

There's a whole breed of goats that can do that I believe. Fainting goats maybe.   I've not heard of it in sheep, so very interesting.
I think it would be worth just mentioning it to the vet in his/her office or by phone, no call-out or anything, to see if he/she has any ideas.

[kanisha]

I believe the goats have a slightly different problem they get tetany ( stiffness of limbs)  the lamb I had would lose all muscle tone if overstimulated.  Took us a while to work it out but once we did it was quite obvious what the trigger was.  as I understand it these type of problems may affect other organs and she had intestinal complications 

[EP90]

Buttermilk, my apologies for a typo it should read 1 month. I’ve corrected original post.
 
Kanisha , this may be the answer as all the lambs get excited at feed time, running and jumping around each other jostling for position. What complications did she have as mine has no obvious symptoms?  I’ll feed her on her own away from the others and see how it goes.

Fleecewife, Fainting goats, who’d have believed it.  Yep I’ll ring my vet on Monday

[kanisha]

Lack of gut motility leading to obstruction.   

[EP90]

Thanks, I'll keep a close eye on her.

[EP90]

Just a quick update, all lambs now weaned and the collapsing one made it too 
Must have had 15 episodes of collapsing and once I got over the initial panic it became quite amusing.  Half way through a bottle she'd stop, back away and sneeze, shake herself and fall over.  Within 15/20 seconds she was back up and wanting the rest of her bottle.
Kanisha suggested narcolepsy which it could have been but I also wondering if it was some breathing abnormality that she passed out from, whatever all is well now.

[SallyintNorth]

Glad she made it!      And thanks for the update 

[Coximus]

I had a ewe that would fall over and take 15 seconds or so to get up at the rattle of a bucket once. The exitement was too much. She died of a heart attack sadly - Molassed straw was too much for her....

Seems to be the tame ones that are prone to it!

[Slimjim]

This year I had a new problem with a lamb that was/is similar but different to this. Apparently it is not uncommon, so I put it on here should others encounter it and be puzzled.
 A twin, she was tiny at birth and I wasn't convinced she was suckling, so gave her a number of top ups from a bottle. As she drank, I could hear a chesty rattle every time she breathed. I would withdraw the teat, wait a bit for the rattle to subside and then continue until the next rattle. The vet explained that it was the result of An abnormal connection between trachea and oesophagus that allows milk to pass into the lungs. Strangely, it did not produce a coughing reflex. Anyway, the vet said some grow through it, , and some don't and die. Well so far, at six weeks old, she is thriving, same size as her brother and just as lively. So fingers crossed.

[m3joeEm]

Slim Jim is it a texel by any chance?

[Slimjim]

Her mum is a Greyface Dartmoor and sired by a Hampshire Down tup.