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Fun Fact Friday: Dog whiskers!1. Dog whiskers, or vibrissae, are specialized hairs that grow above a dog’s eyes and on their cheeks, muzzle, and chin. Whiskers and dog hair are both made of keratin, but whiskers have a tapered tip and are much thicker and more flexible than regular dog hair.2. Dog whisker follicles contain clusters of tactile receptor cells (Merkel cells) that are essential for sending signals to the brain. If a whisker is touched by another object, or air currents move a whisker, that vibration transmits nerve impulses from a dog’s whisker follicles to their brain. Whiskers can detect the size, shape, and speed of nearby objects based on the movement of air currents.3. Dog whiskers can also communicate emotions, such as happiness or anxiety when a dog is in a stressful situation. Dogs who are relaxed often have their whiskers resting flat against their face. Happy dogs will often elevate their supraorbital/superciliary whiskers. Dogs who are scared or perceive an immediate threat in their environment will often flare or twitch the muzzle whiskers out and downward, toward the threat. Muzzle whiskers also disperse pheromones as a means of communication.4. You should not trim your dog’s whiskers. They are vital for normal sensory perception and balance, so shortening their whiskers or cutting them off may throw off your dog’s balance, movement, and ability to sense environmental cues. Removing whiskers by any means may cause significant stress to a dog. It affects their sensory function and can cause disorientation and a temporary disruption in normal activities like hunting, swimming, and play. In some dogs, trimming whiskers may cause aggression as a stress response.5. Whiskers are shed like other hair on a dog’s body. It can take several weeks for a new whisker to grow to its mature length. Broken, brittle whiskers can be an indicator of age, poor nutrition, or other underlying health concerns (mange, stress, hormonal imbalance, skin infections such as ringworm, etc.). ... See MoreSee Less

Why Do Dogs Have Whiskers?

www.petmd.com

Dr. Leslie Gillette explains all things dog whiskers, from their overall purpose to their regrowth cycle.

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