Psychogenic alopecia

Imagine you have a very special tree in your backyard that is yours and only yours. You love this tree so much and you take care of it every day. But suddenly, one day you start feeling anxious or sad about something that is happening in your life. And without realizing it, you start pulling leaves and branches off your tree. At first, it's just one or two, but then it becomes more and more.

This is kind of what happens with psychogenic alopecia. It's when people (usually dogs, cats or other animals) start losing their hair or fur because of emotional stress or anxiety. They do it by licking or biting their own skin, which damages their hair follicles and makes hair fall out. Just like you might pull leaves off your tree without realizing it, animals with psychogenic alopecia can't help damaging their own skin and hair.

Sometimes the emotional stress that causes psychogenic alopecia can be from things like moving to a new home, losing a family member or pet, or even a change in routine. The good news is that usually, once the emotional cause is figured out and fixed, the animal's hair will usually grow back on its own.