International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

difficulties/abnormalities to a moderate and even severe degree, to return to a very significantly
healthier or completely healthy state. Appropriate land to water area ratios (this is esp. critical
in enclosures around or below 240m² [2,583 ft²]) and sufficient digging areas are necessary as
well. “Intervertebral disc disease is … [a] common entity reported in …otters, and other
mustelids. Exhibit space, housing, handling procedures and activity can predispose animals to
vertebral problems...” (Petrini 2001).
Health problems with pads, webbing, and skin on feet/toes:
Are pink foot/toe pads healthy?
This species has sensitive delicate feet. Healthy pads, skin, and webbing on giant otters’ feet
and toes are entirely brown, not pink, in color and supple, smooth, and soft in condition. The
otter has unhealthy damaged feet when any part of the foot appears differently and inappropriate
enclosure conditions (aside from any obvious accidental injury) are responsible for this health
problem. Captive giant otters are often observed or reported to have pink color foot/toe pads.
When foot/toe pads are pink in color they are irritated and damaged. This occurs most often
because otters are kept on hard surfaces and soft natural substrates are not covering nearly the
entire enclosure land/floor areas. (If hard surfaces are not responsible for this problem then
other inappropriate surface conditions, such as continually very damp/wet substrates (whether
soft or loose or not) or other inappropriate substrates, are responsible.) Even when the greater
portion of enclosures are covered with soft natural substrates, continual exposure to just those
lesser areas with hard surfaces causes pink foot/toe pads. The longer the otter has been exposed
to hard surfaces or/and the greater the percentage of enclosure area covered with such, the
greater the resulting health problems.
It is not uncommon that pink foot/toe pads develop into a more unhealthy state. Cracks, cuts,
small red sores, rawness, or dried out appearance on pads and webbing, moderate to dark pink
or worse red color pads, pink/red on the edges of webbing or in worse cases on the larger area of
skin between the toes, etc. are not that uncommon of an occurrence. The darker the pink color
(whether on the pads or webbing) the more unhealthy the feet are. This is because pink foot/toe
pads can quickly and easily develop into a more unhealthy state when land/floor
substrates/surfaces remain very damp or wet or other inappropriate provisions exist. Continual
exposure to rough, coarse, abrasive, all hard, wet or very damp, slow drying or poor draining
enclosure substrates/surfaces results in very unhealthy feet. E.g. pebbles, gravel, and small
rocks (whether smooth, rounded, or not) are coarse and hard and when they are provided alone
or they are mixed throughout soil or sand they will damage the otters feet and they are not
comfortable for otters to use. See above for the inappropriate substrate types, depths, and
qualities, land and water area locations and designs, and locations for nestboxes, dens and areas
for natural underground dens which cause land areas (including sleeping areas) to remain very
damp/wet. An infection could result if foot and/or enclosure conditions continue to decline.
All indoor and outdoor enclosure land and floor surfaces must be nearly entirely covered with
soft sand, mulch, or/and soil, as recommended (with appropriate substrate depths, types, and
qualities), to prevent foot and toe pads from becoming pink. Additionally, unhealthy feet can
not fully recover until this provision is offered. It has recently been discovered that this is the
most important husbandry method needed to maintain healthy natural foot condition, prevent
foot problems, and improve unhealthy feet. This type of husbandry practice alone can help
unhealthy feet, affected by continual exposure to inappropriate surfaces, recover to a very
significantly healthier state or a completely healthy natural state. Appropriate land to water area
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