r/cotondetulear

I originally tried to reach out to them so they could be aware, but since they are closed, I can't. But everyone who has cotons who have SIMON SNUBB ROCK OR LADY LAURIE or any parents related to these two need to keep an eye out for spinal issues. My pup Magi, who was from the 8/24/2021 litter, originally named Leeann, is in hospital & had to have a multi-site hemilaminectomy due to four herniated disks in her spine, with a 50/50 chance of being paralyzed in her back end for life. The veterinarian said they highly believe the cause is genetics rather than any sort of trauma, & recommended me to reach out so other owners of pups related to her know to prevent any jumping & monitor for spinal issues, as quick attention & quick surgery can significantly up the chances of recovery (Magi went through two other emergency veterinarians before she reached one with the neurology staff capable of figuring out what was causing her back end paralysis, valuable time lost. Had she been seen by the specialist sooner she would have had an 80% chance of full recovery.)

I’m looking for recommendations and if anyone had similar issues as us. Our Eddie is turning 5 this month and we had zero allergy issues or staining on his fur up until after he got neutered last year. The staining started around his mouth and then soon started licking only one paw.
We did not change his food at all during this timeline just yet. We were feeding him Go! Solutions duck sensitivities grain free food.
So we thought maybe we should change his food. Fast forward till now we’ve gone ahead and trialed through salmon, lamb and chicken. One of them gave him an ear infection and was even more itchy than normal. Took him to the vet got that cleared up. And he was given an allergy shot aswell. That did nothing. They suggested using Benadryl or changing his foods or to try hydrolyzed food that they sell. I figured to try something else before buying their food because usually it’s pretty expensive.
We switched brands to Performatrin Prime Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Oatmeal Formula as per a recommendation. Hoping it was just a go! Brand issue. And we’re still dealing with the licking one paw and now also licking his butt. The vet has had to cleanse his anal glands a few times now aswell. So we’ve added pumpkin to his diet to help thicken his stools to help with his anal glands. But we’re still stuck with the paw and butt licking. Our next step is to just try the vet food but I’m not getting my hopes up. So we’re unsure if it’s a food allergy or environmental. We were also nervous with giving him Benadryl as it makes us super sleepy when we use it so just uneasy with giving it to Eddie. If anyone else use or used it please let me know your experience.
Also last year one of our trees in the backyard produced an insane amount of acorns. This year isn’t as bad but still a lot more than usual. I don’t know if this plays a part in the environmental allergies but figured to add this info.