Sox invites you to join her hope, health, and happiness journey. She is a neurological marvel, and some might call her a "miracle," as she has a rare spinal malformation that has garnered the attention of scientists worldwide.

**Sox's Background**
Sox was one of six puppies born to our senior resident dog. Initially, she was recognized as the 'litter runt' because she was half the size of her siblings. Another indication that Sox was different was when her mother began to ignore her.

When Sox was four weeks old, her siblings ran around, but she moved by bunny hopping. Our veterinarian initially thought she would eventually "grow out of it." Many people and rescue organizations expressed interest in adopting Sox and her Australian cattle dog siblings when the puppies were ready to find their forever homes. However, a month later, a rescue returned Muffin and Sox due to newly discovered deafness.

Our commitment to our residents is lifelong, so even though they were thousands of miles away, we arranged for Sox and Muffin to return to Where Love Resides. Today, Muffin lives with her forever foster family and is the epitome of health and puppy vitality, aside from her deafness. However, Sox faced another challenge in a traditional home setting: a lack of bladder control. As specialists in senior dog caregiving, we are well-versed in managing leaky bladders, but Sox needed more. We had to understand how to support her quality of life medically, so it was time to seek scientific answers!

**A Neurological Miracle or Mother Nature's Misstep? **
Sox's comprehensive neurology exam at Texas A&M provided significant insight into her medical condition, illuminating a pathway for hope, health, and happiness.

During fetal development, a bubble of spinal fluid formed that obstructed two-way communication between Sox's brain and her body. While this occurrence is not uncommon, most puppies with similar conditions are euthanized due to concerns about their quality of life.

It's important to note that "muscle memory" relies on the brain. Since Sox lacks this communication pathway, she is unaware of having hind legs, even though they still function. Additionally, she has some awareness of her tail; her brain can register pain signals from it, even though she does not have the same understanding regarding her legs.

**Where Do We Go from Here? **
Sox is enjoying and learning the fine art of puppyhood—teething, socialization, and basic command training that incorporates techniques for deaf dogs, all with her Forever Foster family.

**Hind Legs and Abdominal Therapy**
Sox's congenital malformations are simply a part of her being. She will always 'bunny hop' instead of running, may be prone to slipping due to being off-balance, and may sometimes consider a hind leg a chew toy during her teething phase.

Using our rehab and muscle conditioning knowledge—typically applied to senior dogs—Sox has begun a weekly routine of fun activities to build her abdominal tone and hind limb muscle strength.

Sox may be known to scientists as a neurological phenomenon, but to us, she is another spectacular sanctuary sweetheart, eager to live her best life.

Accompany Sox on her life journey by becoming her monthly sponsor. We promise that our monthly updates will have you cheering as you witness her experiences of hope, health, and happiness.