Guinea Pigs Age and Shedding and Bitting

Question

Molly  

Rosie   Hello I have 2 Sows piggies Molly is all white with brown and Black spots around her eyes and on her ears she is your average pet store pig short hair she is very vocal and has bit me once really hard on my chest and she freaks out if her back and hind end is touched plus she is shedding a lot and with it being December i thought it was kind of weird I also have her cage mate Rosie a solid black with a few tan patches she is an Abby and she seems to be a lot less vocal like all she knows how to do is Rumble and purr and chatter her teeth she will squeak occasionally and larger and I have no Idea how old they are or how to tell is their anyway to tell their age I adopted them from Petco they were surrendered to them from another family than you Tamar. Oh and how can I get the girls to be a little more at ease with my 9 and 8 year old son and daughter

Answer

Adam's Dip   Both girls are very cute. Molly is an American (her breed) and her color is a TSW or tortoise shell and white. A TSW is red, black and white.  I do not think Rosie is an Aby, but rather a Peruvian whose hair has not been kept wrapped to allow it to grow to a showable length. The tail on the rear is what makes me think she is more likely a Peruvian. On most black pigs, especially those with long hair, the undercoat fades, leaving what you're seeing as tan patches.
But of course that has nothing to do with the question at hand, just FYI.

Guinea pigs do not typically shed unless there is a health issue of some kind. I believe that problem here is one of mites. Please be assured that there is no danger to humans as these mites are species specific and will not get on any animal but a guinea pig. Most pigs have a few mites all the time, but they are no problem to the animal. Once in awhile they get out of control and the pig becomes agitated and the coat begins to dry and sheds.

Biting is a common symptom in a pig that was never a biter before. Some pigs, such as Aby's and Peruvians can become really agitated and uncomfortable if you stroke their hair in the wrong direction.  Both Aby's and Peruvians have rosettes all over, causing the hair to have the stereo typed pattern that it does.

In the Aby the hair is shorter. It's nearly impossible to please an Aby with petting because no matter how you try you're stroking something in the wrong direction, hence the nipping. Peruvians are a little calmer about it because the hair is longer, lessening the irritation of backwards petting.  Best example is to have someone run their hand through your hair from the neck to your forehead. You can see how irritating that it. It just doesn't feel good.

Most frequently the first sign of mites is a 'v' shaped break in the hair on the back. The pig cannot completely reach the top to chew at them and it leaves the v shaped cut.

The treatment for mites is an easy one. Go to any pet store and purchase some Adams Dip. It's in a blue bottle and says for puppies and kittens. Get the smaller bottle, as you need very little to do the job.  

The best place to treat is in your bathroom sink. Fill the sink with about 3 inches of water. Add the solution and stir to mix it. It is not a danger to your skin, but if you'd prefer you can use gloves to protect yourself. It has a pleasant fragrance and doesn't seem to bother the pigs.

Put one of the girls in the water solution, gently pour the solution all over their coat begin careful to avoid the eyes and ears. You want the coat completely saturated.

Now here's the most important part. Do NOT towel dry, blow dry or pat dry the coat. They must drip dry. You can put a couple of towels in the bathtub and let the girls stand on that until they are just damp. Then just put them back in their cage.

Mites do not get onto the hard surfaces, but to be sure you can wash down their cage with the solution you dipped them in.

I'm attaching a picture of Adams Dip. It also comes in a spray but for pigs with long hair the dip is more effective and minimizes getting the spray solution in their eyes and ear.