[Backinwellies]

Hi
Was helping a friend out yesterday ... she has 6 Jacobs but no sheep experience at all (and it is showing!).   My OH and I were trying to pen a ewe and lambs so we could do the lamb tails (ewe lambed out in field and hadn't been caught at all).  We went round field twice (as you do!) the ewe did as they all do turn tail and legged it when she got near to pen (no sign of anything wrong) ... so OH very steadily walked her (with lambs) around the boundary to try again ... half way round she sat down so I said grab her .. thinking I could grab the lambs ... but within 2 mins ewe was obviously in real trouble ... off her legs ..I raced over but she died within 2 further mins before any treatment of any kind could be tried.

Likely cause?    heart attack,  calcium or glucose deficiency?  suggestion please ... no there will not be a PM before anyone suggests it!

[Bionic]

Linda, sorry I can't help with your question but that is really sad. You and Ian must be feeling bad.

I would post an emotion hug but windows 10 won't let me

[pharnorth]

No beyond some precondition and you were the unlucky ones to be there.  I hope you get an answer as it may make you feel better about it but best wishes and she is lucky to have your help.

[Anke]

If she was wild - a simple heart attack due to the stress of being moved round the field by humans she didn't know could have cased her to collapse... but you are unlikely to find out the cause... hope the lambs take to the bottle...

[SallyintNorth]

I would post an emotion hug but windows 10 won't let me

Just type 'hug' with colons either side, Sally : hug : (no spaces)

And one from me, too, Linda

No suggestions really.  Given that you two were there and wouldn't have been overstressing her, it sounds most odd.  Before lambing, yes, but after - unusual.

[fsmnutter]

Could be jaagsiekte (driving sickness) a lung cancer spread by a virus. If you pick up her back legs like a wheelbarrow (the wheelbarrow test!) fluid would pour out her lungs through her nose and mouth. Known as driving sickness because they often cope fine until pushed to run and can drop dead or just wheeze and cough.
Nothing can be done to prevent or treat other than avoiding buying from farms that have had it. Keep an eye on the others and try to avoid stressing them, but any wasting away or coughing may need a vet to give symptomatic treatment to prevent/treat secondary lung infections or euthanasia if needed.

Alternatively it could be another underlying problem, such as a metabolic issue - hypoglycaemia, hypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia etc from lambing - or an infection, etc that she has been hiding as that's what prey animals do.

Only way to be sure would be a post mortem, but as a vet, I don't think it would be warranted as fairly likely to be an individual sheep problem so will not benefit the rest of the sheep to know how she died.
Just need to watch the others for any signs of being off feed or unwell at all, and make sure they have a decent energy/mineral lick

[shygirl]

poor you, mortifying.
 

[VSS]

Could be magnesium deficiency - seen in lactating ewes in spring when the grass is growing fast. Often the only symptom is sudden death. Very occasionally you might spot them looking a little bit wobbly shortly before they die in which case a large magnesium injection will save them, but  more often than not, you just find them dead.

I'd put some magnesium blocks out with the other ewes as a precaution.

[Talana]

poor you only a pm would help find out what was wrong with her, in addition to others  if you have fluke stress of handling can rupture  a swollen fluke infested liver causing sudden death.