i just got a female 7 week old papillon yesterday, but all she does is itch & scratch herself! she has no signs of fleas, or flea dirt. i looked up symptoms of ear mites, and i'm almost positive she has that, but what about her scratching everywhere else? her coat is fine, from what i can tell... no hair loss. shes on the brand "enhance" puppy food, which the breeder said shes been eating since shes stopped nursing. when shes not asleep shes scratching or biting herself it seems like all over.. can anyone help me out before i can get her to a vet? i'm freaking out! :(

No need to freak out. :)

There is a good possibility that she is scratching herself all over because the ear mites are driving her nuts. She is a baby and doesn't know how things work yet. She can't get into her ears, it is bothering her so she is trying to find some relief any way she knows how! If this is what is ailing her, you need to treat her for the ear mites. Make an appointment with your vet because at 7 weeks old, it is a good idea for the vet to give her a full check up and rule out anything else. And, because of her age, I do not know which earmite product would be the safest thing to give her (if this is actually what is going on with her). The vet will also check for worms, which is very common in puppies and yours may need treatment for that. Please, the best and kindest thing you can do for your new puppy is have a vet take a look at her as soon as possible, and stay calm. From your description, it doesn't sound like it is anything life threatening.

Ear mites are one of the rare things I would suggest treating yourself. If the ears are red and itchy inside, use a Q-tip to apply oil to the red areas. Baby oil, mineral oil, or even liquid shorting. Just a light coat

You still need to get her into the vet soon. Perhaps have any record of shots from the breeder in front of you when you call. Let them know when she had a DLCCP and see when they want to do another. The parvo paranoid I use would have me in 2 weeks later.

Give her a good brushing with a soft bristled brush every day. If the itching doesn't clear up in a day or 2 with the ear treatment and brushing, better not wait until the vet thinks shots are due.

I am not familiar with the Enhance puppy chow. Chances are, it is fine. Look for tested by AAFCO methods on the label. In the sticky at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/information-articles-our-dogs-expert-labman-53153.html#post251802 I suggest usually sticking with what the breeder was feeding.

I always agree with labman whenever he has the time to answer postings! :)

Without being able to see the dog, hard to tell if it is ear mites or she just has some ear wax that is driving her nuts and there may be some type of allergic reaction from something else, which is why I recommended a vet visit to find out what is going on. My dog is ultra sensitive to earwax, even the smallest amounts drive her crazy. But, it definitely cannot hurt to try the methods labman has suggested above.

Thanks for all the advice, guys! I took her to the vet today and she does in fact have ear mites and mange. :( I'm so upset that the breeder did not tell me about this when I got her yesterday. She's on several different medications now, so I'm praying that it will help! Thanks again!

BellaDior, I am glad you came back to update us. Unfortunately this kind of stuff happens quite often with breeders. Sometimes they know about it, sometimes they don't. You might want to go back to the breeder and show him/her the vet bill. If they are reputable, they should do the honorable thing and give you either the vet's fee or a partial refund. It never hurts to ask. Just chalk this up to lesson learned. :(

Don't worry! The medications will help and she will be fine. As I said, not life threatening problems. It just makes us feel terrible that we can't give instant relief to our "babies" and it is a frustrating thing to have to go through when we are looking forward to enjoying the newness of a pet.

FYI, hopefully this will make you feel a little better, my "baby" whose picture you see was a rescue. Reputable rescue outfit. She was 5 or 6 months old when I adopted her. To make a long story short, within the first month I found out that she had kennel cough, whipworm, another intestinal parasite, and some other stuff that I don't remember anymore. Every time I treated her for something, something else would turn up. It took me 3 months to get her healthy. The vet bills were outrageous. But, it was what it was, and I recognized that it was part of taking on the responsibility of bringing a pet into my home.

So, this too shall pass and your puppy will be fine. Enjoy your little girl!

I am very disappointed with the breeder. Ear mites are easy to identify and cure. Mange isn't. There are actually different kinds requiring different treatments. Keep us posted, and ask any more questions you have.