- Personnel and Purpose
- This standard operating procedure is designed to be used by laboratory managers, animal caretakers, and researchers to manage and minimize barbering in laboratory mice.
- Explanation of Barbering
- Barbering is defined as abnormal whisker and fur plucking behavior commonly seen in mice. It has been thought to be associated with an expression of social dominance.
- The implications on the research results are still unknown, thus the overall consequences for the research and its validity are unknown. If barbering is widespread within a research group, consideration by the researcher as to the full effects on their results must be taken.
- Incidence and Risk Factors
- A female bias
- Onset during puberty
- Reproductive status and genetic background
- More likely in C57BL/6 and 129s derived strains
- Husbandry factors such as cage design, cage location, cage mate relationship, and the presence of other barbers
- Identification and Scoring Guidelines
- Common clinical signs:
- Hair loss around the whiskers, dorsal face (including the eyes), between the ears, the dorsal neck, back and rump.
- Self –barbering: Barbering to oneself which is commonly seen in mice housed separately. This tends to present as hair loss around the chest, genitals, and the inside and outside of the forearms.
- Infected wounds: Wounds can become infected if the biting damages the outer layers of the skin and allows bacteria to gain entry and form an infection. It is a potential cause of a condition called Ulcerative Dermatitis. See Policy #6: Managing Ulcerative Dermatitis in Rodents.
- Scoring Guidelines
- Mild -- the mice show some very mild hair loss around face and ears. It appears mainly as a thinner coat cover in these areas. The mouse shows normal behaviors in the cage.
- Moderate – quite a lot of hair loss over head, neck, legs or thorax. In these patches, the skin is still intact and there is no evidence of infection.
- Severe- the hair loss has progressed, and the skin is broken through. The skin visible is red and shiny and may appear infected (moist with a discharge). The mouse may or may not be showing other signs of stress or discomfort such as anorexia, quiet behavior.
- Common clinical signs:
- Management
- Once barbering has been identified within a cage, a standard plan of action will be
instigated by the researcher and animal caretakers.
- Identify the mouse that is performing the barbering. There is usually one unaffected mouse in the cage. Separate that mouse to a different cage.
- Closer monitoring – once daily inspection of wounds
- Increase the rotation of environmental stimulation
- If their condition deteriorates or are not viable for the project, they should be culled immediately.
- If the wounds begin to break through the skin and become infected, the affected mouse will be treated for its wounds. See Policy #6: Managing Ulcerative Dermatitis in Rodents.
- Once barbering has been identified within a cage, a standard plan of action will be
instigated by the researcher and animal caretakers.
- Documentation
- Cages with suspected barbering should be marked. Staff and the ACF Director should monitor the cage for any signs of Ulcerative Dermatitis (visit IACUC Policy #6: Managing Ulcerative Dermatitis in Rodents).
- Exceptions
- The Attending Veterinarian or designee may grant exceptions to this policy when it is deemed in the best interest of the animals.