tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post7463217949073429813..comments2023-09-28T08:31:02.877-07:00Comments on Responsible Pet Ownership Blog: Psychogenic Alopecia in CatsCANIDAE Pet Foodshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14469755460646975188noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-4366505218031397232013-08-30T13:54:57.105-07:002013-08-30T13:54:57.105-07:00My beautiful maine coon started doing this recentl...My beautiful maine coon started doing this recently. I can't help but be so sad about it because his belly has always been my favorite place to rub him and now its bald. :( <br /><br />I don't know what to do to help him and it makes me so sad on a daily basis. The vet brushed it off, and told me to used the cone of shame, but I can't do that to him. :( Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-1339112057931166022013-07-03T18:04:53.656-07:002013-07-03T18:04:53.656-07:00I have an in box full of post to read and this is ...I have an in box full of post to read and this is almost a year old. And I KNEW IT! My cat was licking her belly and when I took her to the vet and he determined nothing was wrong with her. I changed her food to see if that might be it (I did a lot of food testing). The vet even took skin graphs. He never mentioned this. Maybe it is needless to say we aren't going to that vet any longer. She stopped licking compulsively for a long time. Then sometime this year I noticed a bit of baldness, but it never got bald not large (the patch) and she stopped. I really thought it was chicken. Thanks for this article. Sorry I am so slow at reading them! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-40581369919468312982012-10-20T13:37:35.814-07:002012-10-20T13:37:35.814-07:00I had pretty much ruled out psychogenic alopecia w...I had pretty much ruled out psychogenic alopecia with my black girl Lily, as NOTHING has changed to cause stress and have only once seen her doing what I would consider overgrooming. But having ruled out physical causes and read up more on the condition - noting that it is particularly prevalent in Orientals (Lily is a black Siamese), and that cats often hide this behaviour from their owners. I'm off to the vet tomorrow to see if she'll prescribe something like Prozac, in addition to the quarterly Depo Provera injections that we've also been doing.<br /><br />I agree that that the condition is not going to hurt her per se, but I do want to try one last thing before I give up trying to help her.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12890718291949166272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-22683633932255994562012-08-12T18:58:25.398-07:002012-08-12T18:58:25.398-07:00Interesting! My angel Graphite had this when he w...Interesting! My angel Graphite had this when he was in the shelter. He had almost no hair on the insides of his back legs. It was probably the stress of being at the shelter. It grew back after he felt comfortable in his forever home (with me).meowmeowmanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12513539249219283256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-14659222015179300982012-08-11T18:29:46.284-07:002012-08-11T18:29:46.284-07:00And I have to laugh finding you've written abo...And I have to laugh finding you've written about this now...I have a foster cat who's half-bald! Her diagnosis, however, is that it's due to food allergies. She's now on a strict limited-ingredient-diet (Natural Balance green pea and duck) along with shots to stop the itchiness. Hopefully it will only mean keeping her on this diet to resolve her over-grooming. Poor girl was itchy! <br />With psychogenic alopecia, though, it's much trickier in what to do to help them. You're right, it's certainly nothing horrible - I think of it along the same lines as when people bite their nails or twist their hair.<br />Hope you find some good solutions!KimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05154456095628728984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-41648177513646165222012-08-11T06:59:58.657-07:002012-08-11T06:59:58.657-07:00Great post - I had a dog with this condition and I...Great post - I had a dog with this condition and I wish I had been more informed at the time. We went through endless types of treatments, but I now see that some of it was psychological and that perhaps increasing physical stimulation would have helped.Deb Barneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16954912155970041109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-18002098053155790392012-08-10T22:43:45.665-07:002012-08-10T22:43:45.665-07:00Again, a great read for cat owners. Glad my cats a...Again, a great read for cat owners. Glad my cats are doing okay where this is concerned.~Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04626867819178967993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-19525889195492958072012-08-10T21:19:26.343-07:002012-08-10T21:19:26.343-07:00We hadded no idea about this! I am a neat and clea...We hadded no idea about this! I am a neat and clean boy, but I do not lick more than the ordinary amount. And even though I am furminated pretty regularly, I do sometimes hork up a good furball, which I don't mind but I would not want to be doing that all the time!Gigihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11521788085263616551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-39861027915070232222012-08-10T21:16:16.497-07:002012-08-10T21:16:16.497-07:00What our cats do, people also do under stress as w...What our cats do, people also do under stress as well. <br />Also just like people, psychological drugs should not be stopped cold turkey but gradually under doc or vets supervision. <br /><br />But interesting article btw. :)K_tigresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435524324162761134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-18715411380014693942012-08-10T18:31:40.886-07:002012-08-10T18:31:40.886-07:00Great information! I've heard of this...fortu...Great information! I've heard of this...fortunately, Wally, Ernie and Zoey don't suffer from this, though Ernie does have allergies and will scratch a lot.<br /><br />Sue (aka the Island Cats' mom)The Island Catshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04593776444080555845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-42094526277606059022012-08-10T14:41:04.033-07:002012-08-10T14:41:04.033-07:00Another interesting article. I am aware that some ...Another interesting article. I am aware that some cats can do excessive grooming if they are stressed, so have watched out for signs. Thanks Julia :)CATachresishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10227422179439047735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-88662713368626395482012-08-10T12:51:17.989-07:002012-08-10T12:51:17.989-07:00This is really good, Rumblemummy was a bit worries...This is really good, Rumblemummy was a bit worries that Hammy might have this as he had a bald patch many months ago. Turned out he had allergies and things cleared up once we removed some things from his diet. It's great to have posts like this that we can refer to when Rumblemum gets worried about us.dArtagnan Rumblepurr/Diego Hamlet Moonfurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292794968160988264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-21762038831974128192012-08-10T12:34:12.338-07:002012-08-10T12:34:12.338-07:00Another alternative treatment are homeopathic or f...Another alternative treatment are homeopathic or flower essences.Layla Morgan Wilde ( Cat Wisdom 101)https://www.blogger.com/profile/09061858109074143909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-47257339682439365712012-08-10T11:15:08.907-07:002012-08-10T11:15:08.907-07:00That was sure very interest and I sure didn't ...That was sure very interest and I sure didn't know any of that!Brian's Home Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08809631273441407139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-46907014973482899102012-08-10T10:46:13.254-07:002012-08-10T10:46:13.254-07:00I am so glad you wrote this. I noticed about three...I am so glad you wrote this. I noticed about three weeks ago that the kitty here Orange Boyz had some bald spots which he had licked. So I have been very diligent about the flea treatments and started him on some calming treats and I thought he was better. But this morning I noticed he has a huge place on his shoulder that he has licked. It isn't raw yet but he has most of the hair off. He is a somewhat nervous cat. He lives outside because being inside he is too nervous around the other cats and that may be his problem outside too. I had another cat doing this, Mew Mew and I took her to the vet and they gave her a depo shot and she has been fine since then. She is on the calming treats too.Marghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16571726966413507123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-647675683976633621.post-15595642262528882392012-08-10T07:21:17.077-07:002012-08-10T07:21:17.077-07:00Great article on this. I have a friend with a cat ...Great article on this. I have a friend with a cat who has had this for a few years now. She's a bit better these days, now that her human is divorced and free of that stressful situation, but she (Mieko the cat, not the girlfriend--lol) still does over-groom.<br /><br />BTW, when this started, the vet did have her try an antidepressant, but its side effects were so back my friend stopped them. Definitely a last resort only. I find it dismaying how quick some vets (including mine, unfortunately) are to recommend the pharmaceutical approach.Fuzzy Taleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09505853082591216696noreply@blogger.com