[Jacob-list] strange malady

[Linda Bjarkman]

I had a strange problem here this week and I wonder if anyone can help shed some 
light on it.

I had 8 lambs together with two adult ewes and took out the five lambs that aren't 
still nursing and wormed them with Safe Guard.  These lambs had been wormed with 
Ivormec 8 weeks ago.  I grained the five lambs a total of just less than 1 pound of 
grain that evening.  They have been eating grain for months now and also had access 
to pasture.

Next morning, one lamb has profuse, dark diarrhea.  Treated with Kaopectate, 
Probios, trimmed and washed her bottom. (even with a docked tail, diarrhea is 
nasty!) She was walking in an uncomfortable manner -
think of a person walking kinda hunched over with their toes pointing in opposite 
directions - a corn cob up the butt walk.  First thought was a blockage as one of 
the other lambs passed a rather lengthy tapeworm.  Later that day, the lamb was in 
obvious pain, still had the diarrhea and started a strange gait - she was lifting 
her front legs almost high enough for her knees to bump her nose. At this point,  
I'm starting to 
think some sort of CNS problem and think it's maybe overeating disease - non 
vaccinated lamb and the biggest and strongest and suddenly not having to compete 
with the adults for grain. More kaopectate, Nutri-Drench, lots 
of water, very slowly dribbled into her mouth.  Next day, the lamb was staggering 
and
falling down and couldn't get back up without help.  LA200, more kaopectate, more 
Nutri-Drench, more water.  By that evening, I was sure we would lose her.  At this 
point, I had pretty much decided it's not overeating disease because she should 
have died already.  Maybe a toxic reaction to dying worms??  I wouldn't have thought
she had a heavy parasite load as she had been wormed 8 weeks earlier and showed no 
sign of heavy infestation.  I continued the treatments just to have something to do 
and gave her some aspirin, just to maybe help with the pain.  

Third day.  She's kinda alert in the morning, but still not eating or getting up.  
More water and Nutri-drench.  I left for a few hours and came home to find her in 
the same spot, but she's chewing her cud - a good sign!  Within an hour, she got up,
started grazing and today (the fourth day) she is completely recovered.

Anyone ever seen anything like this before?

PS - yes, I know I should have already vaccinated (and I do vaccinate) but I'm late 
this year.

Linda