The Lego Movie may have been snubbed by Oscar, but Lego plays a vital role for a disabled German tortoise named Blade, according to a CNET report.
Blade, the tiny tortoise, suffers from a metabolic bone disease, which has left him too weak to bear the weight of his own shell. So he got a Lego wheelchair courtesy of a clever German veterinarian.
Iris Pleste of Germany is Blade's owner, and she noticed that he hadn't been as zippy as usual. She brought him to Bielefeld, Germany-based Dr. Carsten Plischke, her vet.
Plischke, inspired by his son's Lego toys, built a custom "wheelchair" for Blade so he could use his legs for direction and momentum, while the Lego held his shell off the ground.
"We mounted Lego wheels on the tortoise Blade because he had a bone metabolism illness and his shell was too heavy and he had a loss of muscles," Plischke said. "That's why he couldn't pick up himself and walk any more. The bones were like rubber and the musculature had clearly diminished."
The Lego scooter has four wheels with tire treads. The axles are snapped in place into Lego secures on the underside of Blade's shell. Plischke is hopeful Blade will build strength in his legs and the training wheels can come off at some point.
"For people there are walkers, rollators or prostheses but for animals there are no companies that produce something like that," Plischke said. "The size variation of animals means they can't establish uniform products. So you have to come up with creative solutions; every animal needs its own treatment."
