The precise etiology of crib-biting behavior has yet to
be elucidated, and it is likely that the cause is multifactorial.
Several studies have been conducted to investigate
the potential biological mechanisms underlying crib-biting
behavior. For example, crib-biting has been associated with
altered neuroendocrine physiology (Gillham et al., 1994;
Lebelt et al., 1998; McBride and Hemmings, 2005, 2009)
and brain function (Hemmings et al., 2007; Parker et al.,
2008b). There is also some evidence to support a role of