Placebo-Controlled Clomipramine Trial for the Treatment of Feather Picking Disorder in Cockatoos

Abstract

This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy of clomipramine for the treatment of feather picking disorder in otherwise healthy cockatoos. Twenty cockatoos with chronic feather picking disorder were screened for medical conditions and then randomly assigned to either a clomipramine or placebo group. Based on caregiver assessments and physical examination findings, treatment with clomipramine significantly improved feather picking when compared to a placebo at 3 weeks (P=0.028) and at 6 weeks (P=0.021). Clomipramine had no significant effect, however, on videotaped preening behaviors.