Lucas, a prominent member of the San Diego Zoo’s African penguin colony who was diagnosed with a degenerative foot condition, has a new opportunity to thrive, thanks to intervention by the Zoo’s wildlife health and wildlife care specialist teams.
Team members—with the help of Thera-Paw, a national organization that designs and manufactures rehabilitative and assistive products for animals with special needs—created and fitted Lucas with custom orthopedic shoes made of neoprene and rubber, to prevent pressure sores from developing on his feet and ankle when he stands and walks.
Dr. Beth Bicknese, senior veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo said:
I’ve known Lucas for a long time, so having the ability to provide him with a chance to live a normal life brings a smile to my face.
The boots are cushioned and Velcroed in place, so they will help Lucas to fully participate in the colony and showcase behaviors that are more typical for a penguin—such as climbing the rocks, swimming, nesting and finding a suitable mate.
Lucas has a chronic condition known as bumblefoot, an umbrella term for a range of avian degenerative foot conditions ranging from mild redness to deep abscesses. If left untreated, bumblefoot could lead to sepsis and death by secondary infection. Unfortunately, Lucas’s bumblefoot is believed to be a permanent condition, so the wildlife team decided to use the boots to make him as comfortable as possible as he goes about his normal daily routine. The boots should protect the lesions already present on his feet, while minimizing the risk of him developing additional sores.
The 4-year-old penguin’s medical journey began more than 3 years ago when he developed a spinal infection that left him with weak muscles in his legs and the inability to properly stand upright on his toes. Lucas was forced to rest on areas of his ankles that would not normally touch the ground. The team provided Lucas with pain medication, physical therapy, and acupuncture treatments to try to improve his spine, but were unable to heal his condition. As sores began to form on his foot and legs, the team reached out to representatives at Thera-Paw and asked them to create the custom padded boots.
Wildlife care specialists at the Zoo observed that after fitting Lucas with his new boots, his gait improved, increasing his ability to navigate his rocky habitat with greater ease—and his posture became more natural, allowing him the faculty to gain better balance while standing.
