Dogs have been given many amazing features, including their whiskers. In this article, we will explore 11 common questions about dogs and their whiskers.
Whiskers are a remarkable feature that is highly beneficial to dogs in their everyday life activities. They serve as finely-tuned sensory equipment, guiding the dog through their environment.
Dog whiskers, also known as tactile hairs, gather information from the surrounding environment and provide the dog with proper navigation. Let’s dive right in and learn more about this fascinating aspect of our furry friends.
What are the bumps under dog’s whiskers? – Q1
Have you ever noticed odd bumps under your dog’s whiskers?
These bumps located on the places where whiskers originate are completely normal, and all dogs have them. These bumps under whiskers are quite noticeable among some breeds.
The whiskers that are originated from these bumps on your dog’s face are not defects. Since they are sensitive receptors, they do many essential functions by helping the dog understand the surroundings and control the movements with proper guidance and maintain balance.
Why do my dog’s whiskers are swollen?
If you notice a noticeable swelling around the dog’s whiskers all of a sudden, think if there any chances your dog could be bitten by a small creature like a bee, spider, or a bug.
It’s quite possible if the dog wanders outdoors.
However, if these small swollen spots around dog whiskers last more than one hour, it’s highly recommended to consult a veterinarian.
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Why does my dog’s whisker is bent? – Q2
If you noticed a bent whisker on your dog’s face, note that it’s not uncommon for a dog who is super active and enthusiastic, especially the dog plays outdoors or in the backyard quite often.
There is nothing to worry about as it doesn’t indicate any severe health issue or something related.
If you’re still worried, try to straighten its whiskers lightly with your two fingers. Or else, you can try to brush it in the direction of the dog’s face.
I want to remind you again that your dog doesn’t feel any pain.
Why does my dog have white whiskers? – Q3
In general, dogs get the color from the pigment from the skin their hair, fur, whiskers are attached to.
Here is why does your dog might have white whiskers.
A dog may have white whiskers, or they may turn white due to exposure to sunlight, effects of lupus, lack of melanocytes cells that produce melanin, ageing effects, genetic factors, liver disease, vitiligo circumstances, stress, anxiety, and health issues like Hypothyroidism, kidney disease.
The melanocytes cells common among mammals and birds can be found in your dog’s body produced a pigment often referred to as Melanin.
Here are several reasons why does your dog has white whiskers.
Exposure to sunlight
The melanin level can be damaged by exposure to sunlight. If you found that his whiskers have turned gray or white over time, think about how he is exposed to the sun while playing in the backyard or wandering freely outdoors throughout the day.
Effect of lupus
The Melanocytes cells can be easily damaged by lupus. Check for at least small lupus around these whiskers that have turned gray or white.
Lack of Melanocytes cells
If your dog has black and brown whiskers, the spots these whiskers are sprouted out have a higher number of pigment cells, whereas white whiskers indicate a lack of pigment cells, meaning a lack of melanin on the root.
Aging effects
Usually, the melanin level gradually decreases as the dog gets old, and black and grey whiskers will be turned to white color.
In general, most dogs begin to sprouting these white or gray whiskers as they turned 5 years of age. But, it has to come as no surprise if a one-year-old dog will get white or grey whiskers as a result of genetic effects.
Genetic factors
If your dog has white color whiskers, it can be just a genetic factor.
Health issues
There are a few health-related issues that can cause your dog’s whiskers to start whiting. Here are some of them.
- Hypothyroidism
- kidney disease
- Liver disease
Vitiligo condition
Vitiligo circumstance is a very scarce condition that causes the loss of pigment or cells in certain spots, resulting in making your dog’s whiskers white.
In fact, Rottweilers, GSDs, Dachshund, Belgian Tervuren are more likely to prone to this issue.
Stress and Anxiety
Although there is no much information or data to prove that stress and anxiety could be caused to make whiskers white, the dogs that are prone to anxiety and stress tend to have a higher percentage of grey or white whiskers.
Accidentally pulled out a dog whisker | what happens & what to do. – Q4
If you accidentally pull out a dog’s whisker, it can torture the dog and cause bleeding at that location.
I’m not gonna discuss here the functionality of dog whiskers as we did that already.
You shouldn’t pluck out the whiskers prior they fall out of them naturally because the dog might be prone to stress, infection, or it might become disoriented.
There is nothing to worry about if you accidentally pulled out just ONE whisker.
But, never ever attempt to pull out or trim them because dogs need them in order to function properly in day-to-day life.
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Why does my dog have moles with whiskers? – Q5
Almost every dog have black dots or circles on their face, often common among German shepherds and Belgian Malinois.
Many people misunderstand this as a mole or a beauty mark.
The moles or black round dots on the dog’s face are due to the coat’s appearance & genetic inheritance. There are numerous nerves have located under these black dots. Whiskers sprout from that spot are referred to as vibrissae responsible for transmitting sensory information to a dog’s brain.
Why does my dog has one really thick and sharp whisker? – Q6
Have you ever noticed a really thick one whisker from your dog’s face? Is that some sort of a wired whisker, or what?
These types of whiskers could get shaper and poke your hand if you rubbed it the wrong way. This is completely normal and common to almost every dog, and there is nothing to worry about.
Dog whiskers, including this thick & sharp whisker, are high sensitive receptors to microscopic changes in air currents by getting information about the speed, shape, size of close objects to them. The whiskers are extremely useful in the dark as they are sensitive to even the vibrations of the air.
So this amazing feature can keep them approaching hazardous circumstances in the dark.
At what age do dogs get white whiskers? – Q7
In general, a dog can get white whiskers, or they could be turned into grey or white around 5 years of age. Some breeds like border collies, poodles get white whiskers congenitally.
However, this may vary on health issues, exposure to sunlight, the effect of lupus, and Lack of Melanocytes cells.
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Why does my dog have whiskers on the cheek? – Q8
Many people have often misunderstood that dogs have whiskers only on the muzzle or chin. These whiskers are sensory equipment that gets sensory input from the surroundings and sends them to the brain to function and navigates properly.
Dogs often have whiskers on the chin, above the eyes, above the upper lips, occasionally on the cheeks.
Why does my dog scratching whiskers off? – Q9
If your dog scratching whiskers off, it can indicate a few circumstances like allergies, ticks, mites, fleas, or dental pain,
If this problem happens as a result of an allergic, you will find it challenging to observe the exact cause as it can have manifold causes such as contact, food, inhaled, etc.
It’s better to schedule an appointment with your vet in order to observe the exact cause and apply remedies.
If you are unconcerned about that, just be aware that your dog is more likely to a prone to a skin infection.
What color are dogs whiskers? – Q12
Often the color of dog whiskers can be white, grey, black, or somewhere in the middle of these colors. In fact, a single dog may have different colored whiskers.
The color of these whiskers is determined by genetics, aging effects, exposure to sunlight, lupus, vitiligo condition, stress, & anxiety.
Dog whisker bleeding | why & what to do. – Q11
In any case, when you pulled off a whisker intentionally or accidentally, it tends to bleed for a significant period of time.
However, you gotta be super careful with these whiskers as there very minimum chance of plucked off one of them “accidentally”. because when you try to pull off a whisker, the skin becomes elastic in the direction of your hand.
However, if you remove one of them intensionally or accidentally, it will leave extensive pain and possibly resulting bleeding for a long time.
Here is exactly what you should do.
- When it keeps bleeding out of the whisker, you might get stressed. So, you gotta control your feelings in order to calm the dog.
- Take a paper towel and use that to apply soft and light pressure to that bleeding area. A soft cloth can also be used.
- Afterward, increase the pressure a little bit and keep it for about 3-4 minutes. Then check to see if bleeding continues.
- If so, do step 3 again.
- If the bleeding hasn’t stopped yet, you gotta examine the dog for another 3-5 minutes. The blood is more inclined to clot and stop bleeding within a few minutes.
- If bleeding continues even after 15-20 minutes, it is best to see your veterinarian.
Conclusion
Whiskers are one of the best gifts dogs given. The primary function of these whiskers grab the information from the surrounding environment and make it easier for the dog to navigate. So, we have discussed 15 different questions you might have about dogs and whiskers. Hope you found that helpful. Have a nice day.
