Risk factors for barbering in laboratory mice.

ABSTRACT: Barbering is a common abnormal behavior in laboratory mice, where mice pluck their own fur and/or the fur or whiskers of their cage mates. Barbering mice are a concern for welfare and research quality, as well as serving as a spontaneous model of trichotillomania (a hair-pulling disorder in humans). Causes and prevention of barbering are poorly understood, although there is evidence that both biological and environmental factors play a role in its prevalence. Since initial work in this area was done 20 years ago, mouse husbandry has changed dramatically. We provide an updated analysis of risk factors for barbering in laboratory mice based on point prevalence of hair loss in 2544 cages over one year (7007 mice). We analyzed the effects of biological, environmental, and husbandry factors tha

SUBMITTER: Ratuski AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11876326 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature