Whoops, whisker trimming!

[Michellec]

Is it bad to cut the whiskers of a pig? I did accidentally when I was giving one a haircut.

Thanks,

M

 

[Slap Maxwell]

Yes, it is not a good idea. Animals with whiskers use them to feel. Rodents, like guinea pigs, use them to see if they will fit in a certain area they may not be able to see well, like a tunnel. The whiskers are about the same width as their body.

 

[Michellec]

Do they grow back?

Thanks for the reply.

 

[daftscotslass]

Yep they grow back. My older guinea pig chewed off all my younger ones whiskers on her right hand side, and they were back within a fortnight.

 

[Sabriel]

I think they also naturally lose whiskers from time to time. I know my cats do. I find whiskers in the oddest of places.

 

[suzy_99]

I did that to my cat once when I was a kid because I thought they were too long and she couldn't even walk straight and she kept on bumping into things, but I guess thats because I cut them down to like 1/8 of an inch. I must say that it looked kinda funny, but I learned never to do that again, especially with a cat that has a vision problem like ours did. Thankfully they grew back in and she was back to her normal self.

 

[Piglet]

It's just one whisker, no biggie