A SOMERSET veterinary practice has published a clinical paper focused on the first ever penguin to receive an MRI scan.

Earlier this year, Chaka the penguin was booked in at the West Buckland vets after his keepers at Weymouth's Sea Life noticed that he kept wobbling when he waddled.

Just to be sure that there were no underlying issues, Chaka received an MRI scan, a first for the practice.

Luckily, no issues were found.

Speaking about the procedure at the time, Phillipa Tucker, clinical anaesthetist at Cave Veterinary Specialists, said: “Performing an MRI on a penguin was something totally new for the team here at Cave.

''Although the MRI procedure itself is fairly straightforward, the biggest challenge was ensuring Chaka was as settled as possible for the scan.

“Unlike the cats and dogs we regularly treat, penguins can hold their breath for a considerable time, so our dedicated team made sure to closely monitor Chaka during the scan.

“We are delighted that all went to plan, and we are happy the MRI scan was successful.

''Chaka’s results have come back to show no detrimental issue to his health, and his scan now brings a range of new knowledge to help support future care of other penguins."

A spokesperson from Cave Veterinary Specialists has given an update: "Remember Chaka the penguin? This little guy was a veterinary first!

"When Chaka came to see us, there were no previous descriptions of the procedure to anaesthetise a penguin for an MRI scan.

"So using their knowledge from Chaka's case, our anaesthesia team has had a clinical paper published on the topic, the first time such research has been made available.

"The clinical paper, which has been published after peer review, is entitled: “Anaesthesia of a little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) for magnetic resonance imaging.”

Anaesthesia clinician Erica Daly prepared the manuscript, which was reviewed by head of Specialist Services William McFadzean and Phillipa Tucker.

Phillipa added: “There is no previous report of anaesthesia of a little blue penguin for magnetic resonance imaging, and more widely, anaesthesia of little blue penguins is rarely reported in the literature.

“However, the demand for advanced imaging of exotic species is becoming more common with wider availability, meaning a need for suitable anaesthetic protocols.

“While this clinical paper highlights how the anaesthesia team at Cave can handle challenging cases, it’s been written to support the wider veterinary community.”