A male penguin at the San Diego Zoo has received some remarkable treatment for a foot condition that would eventually make it impossible for him to walk.
Lucas (4), a South African spectacled penguin, was given orthopedic shoes made of neoprene and rubber. The tailor-made footwear should protect the tissue damage on his legs and minimize the risk of new ‘ulcers’ developing when standing and walking.
The male penguin has a chronic condition known as bumblefoot, a collective term for a range of foot disorders in birds, ranging from mild redness to deep abscesses. Without treatment, the condition can lead to life-threatening inflammation or other reaction to a pre-existing infection.
“I’ve known Lucas for a long time and that I’ve been able to help him live a normal life brings a smile to my face,” San Diego Zoo veterinarian Beth Bicknese says on the zoo’s website. ‘The orthopedic shoes are padded on the inside to prevent pressure points and are held in place with Velcro. They will help Lucas to fully participate in life in our penguin colony again. He can climb rocks with it, swim, nest and find a suitable mate with it’.
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Lucas’ medical agony began more than three years ago after an infection of his spine. As a result, the muscles in his legs weakened and he could no longer stand upright. The young male was forced to lean on parts of his ankles that would normally not touch the ground. The healthcare team gave him pain medication, physical therapy and acupuncture treatments in an attempt to improve his spine, but to no avail. When ulcers developed on his paws and ankles, the team contacted Thera-Paw, a company specializing in developing therapeutic footwear for animals.
The animal shoe specialist was honored by the zoo’s request. “We’ve had quite a few challenges over the years, but each one is special and memorable,” says founder and director Ilaria Borghese. “Something you never forget is seeing an animal’s life drastically improve after using our tools. It inspires us every day.”
At the San Diego Zoo, they are ecstatic about the penguin shoes. “We are pleasantly surprised by the immediate change at Lucas,” said healthcare specialist Debbie Denton. “If we see him move now, we hope that in the future he will be completely well and can live a full penguin life.”
Endangered species
African penguins, called black-footed penguins or spectacled penguins, are on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, the world’s largest conservation union. Once one of southern Africa’s most common seabirds with an estimated 1 million breeding pairs, the penguin species today numbers only about 18,000 breeding pairs. In the past two years alone, the population has declined by more than 23 percent, the zoo said.
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