Fur moulting/shedding

[rhedette]

I heard that Degu's shed their "winter coats" in preparation for the summer.

When would this normally start to happen, and what are the beginning signs of it happening.

Tails' fur seems to have grown a few longer strands of white fur now,evenly over his coat, that are about a centremetre longer than his brown fur, is this a sign of him going to moult soon, or is his fur just changing?

[Aimeelou]

The Degus fur does alters as they age from infant to adult, and they do tend to moult in winter. Mine started to moult early november, and ive noticed lately that theres not as much fur around the cage when i sweep up.
I guess its alot to do with there different environments, like central heating and such. I would be interesting to find out from our members from different countrys how there Degus fur changes, if all!

[rhedette]

I havent noticed any fur loss tho, he's just got a few more white hairs lol old fart (he's not really)

[Aimeelou]

Thats a point though Rhedette, i wonder if Degus get grey hairs, like we do, and like dogs and cats do?

[diet otaku]

my older degus have an even dusting of long white hairs also. i didn't really think anything of it.

[rhedette]

Well Tails is only a year old....

[diet otaku]

mine aren't much older than a year - at least, frenzy isn't. i'm not sure how old rumble is.

[ra]

If my thinking is correct, the Degus respond to the light - the length of daylight. As the days grow longer they begin to shed their winter coats in preparation for summer. Other mammals respond this way. The Degu Girls are shedding right now. I noticed about a week or so ago an increase in the amount of loose hairs when I vacuum their cage. I've been having more difficulties with my allergies recently and jokingly said I'm probably allergic to my Degus! Really wouldn't surprise me. Won't change anything, I'd have to get rid of my dogs, horses, barn and live inside a climate controlled environment to be allergy free. Right that'll happen!