Barbering in rats and mice: Care information for your Condition

What is it?

Barbering is abnormal behaviour seen in rats and mice where they pluck their own fur and whiskers, leaving patches of missing fur. This can also be seen in group behaviour, where the rats and mice pluck fur and whiskers from their cage mates.

What causes it and how can it be prevented?

The most common cause for barbering seems to be stress, overpopulation and a behavioural problem. There are a number of different contributing factors including:

Cage design - Allow adequate room for the number of mice and rats you own. Overpopulation (too many animals in too small a space!) is the main factor. Provide plenty of stimulation including different levels, hammocks, toys and hiding places. A bored rat or mouse may be more inclined to barbering behaviours.

Multiple relatives/inbreeding - Barbering has been noted in family lines, with some genetics being more prone to barbering habits than others. It may be worth separating large numbers of related animals to help avoid inbreeding.

Main culprits of barbering - There may be a singular rat or mouse who’s barbering behaviour affects the others. Through a process of elimination, it may be worth discovering who the main culprits are and removing them from the group, or at least housing them with a smaller number of friends.

Dominance - In some instances, more submissive rats and mice may fall victim to barbering behaviours. This may be anxiety induced or may be because dominant animals perform their barbering habits on the submissive ones.

Environmental factors - Ensure the cage environment is clean and well maintained. This not only helps with the animals’ well being, but also reduces the chance of barbering due to mites.

What animals are at risk?

Rats and mice are most commonly affected, particularly those kept in large colonies.

What are the clinical symptoms and signs?

Clinical symptoms can occur over a set period of time or can appear suddenly.

The main symptoms of self barbering include:

Pulling fur from the chest

Bald patches appearing on the belly

Fur missing from around the genitals

Bald patches around the inside or outside of the forearms

Barbering can also affect a group of rats or mice, where instead of self barbering, members of the group may perform barbering habits on others. Symptoms of group barbering include:

Fur missing from the face

Lack of whiskers

Bald patches on the top of the head and around the ears

Fur missing between the ears and the back of the neck

Bald spots appearing on the back and rump area

How can it be diagnosed?

If you notice any bald areas on your rats or mice, then it is important to seek veterinary advice. A veterinary consultation will be needed to assess the area. The vet may first want to eliminate the possibility of skin mites, so a skin sample may be taken for observation under a microscope. Mite treatment may also be prescribed in the first instance. Once the vet has ruled out any underlying health conditions, then you may want to discuss your husbandry to identify ways in which this can be improved.

How can it be treated?

With barbering being a behavioural condition, it doesn’t usually cause skin irritation or infection, as the rat or mouse isn’t actually itchy. Treatment may include adding environmental enrichment, removing the rat or mouse who is barbering others or assessing why the animal is self barbering.

Conditions