Maverick's Story by Ivana Ruddock Veterinarian and founder of the Canine Touch

Some time ago, a veterinarian friend in San Marcos, Texas, asked me if I could do something for her friend Nicole's dog. Without asking many questions, I replied, Just bring him in we'll see what Canine Touch can do for him. Two days later, I waited at the veterinary clinic for my new client. When I saw Nicole trying to very gently unload her dog from the truck, I was shocked. There was Maverick, a black collie wrapped in a huge towel. All I could see were his sad and empty eyes. We placed him on the ground and made sure he was comfortable. I opened up the towel and first noticed some tubes and a plastic bag containing some fluid. Maverick was not interested in what was going on around him, so I started caressing his body to get the feel of his condition.

The back half of his body was still shaved from treatment, emphasizing the collar fur on his neck. I noticed from the white hair around his nose and eyes that he was an older boy. Caressing his back, I felt nothing: there was no normal muscle tone or skin elasticity. His hind legs were very thin, just skin and bones, without any muscles. His pelvis was very visible and it was possible to see many small scars. When I ran my hand over his belly, I felt coldness. His belly was so swollen that it was impossible to see an insertion point for the plastic tube. Nicole told me the story. 11-year-old Maverick had been suffering from dysplasia on his left hind leg. One month ago, he underwent surgery to diminish the pain: the specialist removed the top of his femur and remodeled the hip joint. Two weeks after that hospital visit, when the wounds had started to heal but mobility had not yet returned to the leg, Maverick was hit by a truck, leaving him with a crushed pelvis. More lengthy surgery followed.

The dog's pelvis had broken into five pieces, so the surgeon inserted five steel plates to fix it together. It was now four weeks since this second bout of surgery, Maverick's condition had not improved. He did not use his legs at all: if he moved, he pulled himself along with his front legs. He was having trouble urinating, so still had the catheter inserted into his bladder, so the fluid could flow into the bag. Every day, he lay on his towel, showing no interest in the surrounding world.

 I couldn't imagine how I was going to be able to help this boy. As Nicole talked, I checked the skin reflexes over his back, attempting to ascertain why the muscles on his back were wasted away and lacking tone. I first pinched his skin with my fingers and then with tweezers, but still there was no reaction from the dog. I then realized that he must be paralyzed down half of his body. He didn't react when his hind legs were touched and when I turned him onto his back, his legs fell sideways without any resistance, landing close to the front leg on that side in an unnatural position.

Nicole explained that the veterinarians hadn't given Maverick any chances of survival after the surgery. His age didn't help. She had tried physiotherapy but there had been no visible results. Now Canine Touch was his last chance. Having practiced the Equine Touch for many years, I knew that it was impossible to predict what might happen, so I didn't give Nicole any false assurances. Instead, I started performing individual moves along the dog's spine. After this first procedure, I focused on the belly area, making moves that traveled away from the centre of the swelling. I worked around its whole circumference. I kept the first session very short, just the spinal procedure and then the work on his belly, finishing with some gentle limb stretching and joint mobilization. Giving Nicole the usually advice about rest and plenty of fresh water for Maverick, I said goodbye and that I would see them the following day.

The next day, I entered the clinic. I was concerned that Maverick's condition may have changed for the worse, as Nicole looked tired and drawn. However, she explained that she had been up for almost the entire night, during which Maverick had pee-ed three bags, keeping her busy with changing them. There had also been a little detoxification accident. These were the negatives. What made up for them was an enormous positive: the appearance of his belly. The swelling had gone down to the point where I could now, for the first time, see where the catheter was coming from. I could also see his penis. What an improvement! I was really excited. I resumed work, once again working along his spine and then addressing his legs, before finishing with gentle joint mobilization and limb elongation.

By the next day, we could see further improvement. His belly was now close to a normal size. What's more, his attitude had changed for the better. From this day on, Maverick and I would greet one another with a big high five paw-hand slap. I continued to work on him every day and his body continued to work its miracles. One week later, I arrived at the clinic to find Maverick already there, his tail wagging for the first time. My brain screamed, This is impossible for a dog who is paralyzed! I ran for the tweezers so that I could check his reflexes. To my astonishment, the skin on his back reacted to gentle squeezing, almost as far down his spine as the sacrum. This was the right time to begin some serious rehabilitation.

After that day's Canine Touch session, I showed Nicole some basic stretches and exercises. I also demonstrated how to use a scarf as a sling, supporting Maverick so that he could start to walk and build his muscles. I worked on him every second day. His condition was improving daily. Three weeks after our first contact, he had started giving Nicole a hard time. Still in the scarf sling, he was running around the house and back yard. What's more, he was also developing a taste for chasing squirrels. As Nicole said, it was too much for her, not for him. With exercise every day, Maverick's muscles grew stronger. Although he had not yet regained full feeling in his toes and tail, he was still able to use them. He was still dragging his toes, but at least he was moving around. Yet one night, while still lacking sensation in his paws, he licked and chewed two toes on his hind paw. We then started using special bandages and prostheses to cover and protect his hind paws. At this point, I had to go away to work. I had no option but to leave Nicole with instructions on how to perform the basic Canine Touch procedures and limb stretching in my absence.

Three months later, our work took us back to Texas. Soon after our arrival, Nicole was on the phone, telling me about Maverick's progress. She also booked a final fine tuning session with me. Seeing Maverick running around, I felt uplifted. That old fighter had received his last chance and had proved that there is no age or condition that takes a dog beyond our help. The body is a great healer; sometimes it just needs a little push in the right direction.

Ivana Ruddock