aznmexaggie
Chinchilla Chateau
I originally posted this last April on CnQ when there were quite a few members with questions regarding shedding or priming in chinchillas. I am reposting my thread here so it can now be accessible on CnH:
Every once in a while I see threads where members ask if their chin is shedding, if it's normal for them to have small tufts of fur sticking out from the rest of their fur, what a priming line is, and other questions related to priming which is the process of shedding old fur to make way for new fur growth. I got some great shots of a priming chin and thought I'd start this thread for anyone who wanted to see what a priming line looks like.
Our model is Cupcake, an owner-surrendered chin, who has been here for the last few months. She's currently blowing her coat and has a pretty distinct priming line:
When priming, the process begins with fur being shed near the head and the priming occurs over a few months time towards the tail. A distinct horseshoe shape line caused by tufts of old fur that are being pushed out can sometimes be seen and this is termed the "priming line." This line isn't always as clear as Cupcake's though. When a chin has finished priming, it is said to be in prime. Generally a chin reaches his first prime at about 6 months or so and goes into prime about every 3-4 months following. The best time to show a chinchilla is when they are in prime as their coat will be nice and full and there is less chance of their fur becoming oxidized as the new fur hasn't been exposed to the environment for very long.
I hope those pictures are helpful!
Every once in a while I see threads where members ask if their chin is shedding, if it's normal for them to have small tufts of fur sticking out from the rest of their fur, what a priming line is, and other questions related to priming which is the process of shedding old fur to make way for new fur growth. I got some great shots of a priming chin and thought I'd start this thread for anyone who wanted to see what a priming line looks like.
Our model is Cupcake, an owner-surrendered chin, who has been here for the last few months. She's currently blowing her coat and has a pretty distinct priming line:
When priming, the process begins with fur being shed near the head and the priming occurs over a few months time towards the tail. A distinct horseshoe shape line caused by tufts of old fur that are being pushed out can sometimes be seen and this is termed the "priming line." This line isn't always as clear as Cupcake's though. When a chin has finished priming, it is said to be in prime. Generally a chin reaches his first prime at about 6 months or so and goes into prime about every 3-4 months following. The best time to show a chinchilla is when they are in prime as their coat will be nice and full and there is less chance of their fur becoming oxidized as the new fur hasn't been exposed to the environment for very long.
I hope those pictures are helpful!
