New puppy questions

Q: Hi, I received my puppy Aiden from Premier pups on Wednesday at midnight. He came home and was very excited and I gave him the baby food and syrup via syringe. He cried all night and did not sleep and I fed him baby food most of the day force-feeding it down with a syringe since he seemed to have no appetite but was very enthusiastic to play and seemed happy. He’s been scratching at his ears and neck constantly? I called PremierPups they said it might be a change in the weather and his skin might be irritated? I’ve been checking him for fleas but I don’t see anything and smelling his ears and I don’t smell any bad odor from inside his ears that I’ve smelled in the past with my previous dog. He eats the dry kibble throughout the day and nibbles on it and manages to get it all down but I am still having trouble getting food down every 3 to 4 hours. I gave him some Cesar food last night and he gobbled it up really fast so I added the dry food to it this morning and he ate a little bit but was too excited to play instead. Do I continue force-feeding him the baby food? It seems to make him gassy or do I try something else because I really want him to eat on his own. According to Premier pups he was 4 pounds when he left and was eating kibble three times a day and he’s not doing that here and I’m assuming it’s because he’s excited and stressed and not sleeping in the crate. Any suggestions would be great I have not seen a vet yet I have not found a good vet in my area and the insurance that I took out does not kick in until July 12 so I was hoping he would stay healthy until then. I would love your feedback on the situation. This is my second dog, my first dog of eight years passed away almost 3 months ago and we got another puppy to help us heal from the trauma of losing a loved one. My dog had a lot of health issues and skin issues and ear issues and issues and died of cancer and he was a Shih Tzu so I’m very familiar with his medical needs. I just want to make sure there’s nothing that I missing. I appreciate your time and patience and look forward to hearing from you and have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. Regards, Sheri Einhorn

A: From your description I do not think you need to syringe feed him.  If he eats the canned or dry or a mixture on his own and his attitude is good he should be fine.  Most itching in brand new puppies is due to dryness.  Here is some additionalIf the skin looks normal with no redness, sores or rash it is probably due to dryness.  Using a mild puppy shampoo like aloe and oatmeal as well as a “leave on” conditioner can help.  The best long term measure is using an omega 3 fatty acid supplement but it can take a few weeks before you see the effects of it.