The Effects of Critical Care Nutrition on Weight Gain in African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) Chicks

Abstract

Nutritional support in malnourished animals is an essential aspect of wildlife rehabilitation; this support is especially relevant when providing lifesaving nutrition to endangered species such as the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus). This study investigated the short-term effects of a commercially available, semi-elemental, critical care diet compared with a hand-made fish formula. Twenty-one African penguin chicks were selected on admission to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Costal Birds in Cape Town, South Africa, in November 2015. Initial assessment included body weight, a full clinical exam, white blood cell count, packed cell volume, and total plasma protein. Ten animals received the commercial critical care diet, whereas a control group of 11 animals were fed hand-made formula for the 2-week study period. All animals were weighed daily and blood sampling was repeated after 14 days. The median weight of both groups increased significantly over 14 days (critical care diet χ2 = 10.1, P = 0.002; control χ2 = 7.4, P = 0.006). The difference was not significant between the groups for start weight (χ2 = 0.1, P = 0.725) or end weight (χ2 = 0, P = 1.000) and was not significantly different in the change over time for either absolute numbers (χ2 = 1.7, P = 0.193) or percent gain (χ2 = 0.8, P = 0.36). The values for packed cell volume, total plasma protein, and white blood cell count increased in all animals after the 14-day study period was complete. On the basis of the results of this study, it was determined that the differing diets led to similar weight gain.