A captive adult female American badger (Taxidea taxus) suffered periodic episodes of agitation and self-mutilation over the course of its lifetime. Initially environmental enrichment curtailed the aberrant behavior; however, intensifying clinical signs periodically required the use of diazepam for amelioration of the problem. When diazepam treatment failed to effectively manage a series of escalating behavioral problems, alternative therapy with buspirone, an azaperone anxiolytic, was initiated. The badger was treated with 10 mg buspirone p.o. b.i.d. for over 18 mo, during which time no undesirable behaviors or noticeable side effects were observed.
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1 September 2005
USE OF BUSPIRONE AND ENRICHMENT TO MANAGE ABERRANT BEHAVIOR IN AN AMERICAN BADGER (TAXIDEA TAXUS)
Laurie J. Gage
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Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Vol. 36 • No. 3
September 2005
Vol. 36 • No. 3
September 2005
badger
behavior
Buspirone
enrichment
self-mutilation
Taxidea taxus