Last Updated on September 23, 2021 by Fumipets
Whiskers are found on almost every animal, and the whiskers on a dog not only appear adorable, but they also serve a practical function. Dogs’ whiskers shed and regenerate throughout their lives, much like the rest of their hair. Whiskers should never be shaved, although they do regrow at different rates.
Whisker Anatomy
Dogs will lose a whisker now and again, and new ones will grow in their place. Each whisker, like the rest of a dog’s fur, develops from a single hair follicle. Dogs’ whiskers, on the other hand, are longer, stiffer, and thicker than the rest of their hair. They’re also three times deeper in the epidermis than the rest of the hair, and each whisker’s follicle is filled with blood vessels and nerve cells.
The Importance Of Whiskers
Whiskers aren’t simply wayward hairs; they’re akin to dog GPS devices. These navigational aids may detect touch and vibration, assisting a dog in identifying objects, wind, and sound in the near vicinity of his head. This is helpful for sizing any enclosure, whether a prey’s den or a tiny indoor habitat. If dirt, a thorn, or any other undesirable item comes into contact with the dog’s whiskers, he will blink, protecting his eyes.
Avoid Cutting Whiskers
Whiskers should not be clipped since they are so important to a dog’s survival. It’s comforting to know that if this occurs by mistake, a dog’s whiskers are clipped for surgery, or you discover a whisker or two has come out, they will grow back. The pace of hair development varies per breed, although the precise rate is unknown. Indeed, according to the University of Tennessee-Knoxville College of Veterinary Medicine, there is relatively little data on dog hair growth rates.
NIH Study With Labradors
A study of 11 Labrador retrievers conducted by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Biotechnology Information helped to clarify the rates of hair regrowth in dogs. They shaved the dogs’ coats and waited to see how long it took for them to regrow. Returning to pre-clipped length took an average of 13.6 to 15.4 weeks. Because there is so little data on exact regrowth rates, dog owners may assume that whiskers will come back at the same pace as their hair.
