Behavior treatment of alopecia in macaca fascicularis: Comparison of outcomes (2013)

Harding, K.

Abstract

Alopecia in captive macaques is assumed to have a behavioral cause; either by over-grooming, or a result of stress. Analysis of behavioral treatments of alopecia remains elusive, yet facilities are accountable for treatment. Retrospective analysis of effects of treatment type was conducted on alopecic females (n=608, 1.5-15 years of age) at our facility over a six year period. On each alopecic animal, a score was assessed on 17 body parts using a 0-4 scale, and averaged for a composite score. Animals were either on one of 7 interventions (mean treatment length 3.18 months), or monitored as one of two control groups. All groups were subsequently re-scored monthly. Analysis of variance on lowering of the mean composite alopecia score across groups was performed. Only movement from a cage to gang housing was significantly different from both control groups (F=5.55, p<0.0001; μ=0.361, SD=0.580). Social manipulation was the most successful intervention, with favorable responses seen in 78% of animals moved to gang housing units, 71% of animals moved into pair housing, and 58% of animals who had their cohort changed. The control groups showed a 59% (gang housing alone) and 49% improvement (cage housing alone). Adding a forage board (30%) or a puzzle feeder (33%) were the least successful interventions. This data demonstrates that the most successful strategy for improvement of alopecia was through enhanced social interactions.