Are there animal models for alopecia areata?
There have been confirmed reports of alopecia areata-like hair loss in; Rats, Mice, Dogs (Magyar Vizsla, Minature poodle, Dachshund, Bernese Mountain, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Mixed breed), Cats (Siamese), Horses (Appaloosa, Palomino), Cattle (Holstein), and Non-human primates (Stump-tailed macaques, white-fronted capuchin, Spider monkey, Chimpanzee). Most reports are just one or two isolated cases. As with human AA, the hair loss waxes and wanes, has an inflammatory infiltrate in and around hair follicles, and hair loss is reversible. At present there are two animal models being used for research into alopecia areata, one is in rats and the other in mice.
