Chapter 9: Healing Paws – A Shepherd’s Second Chance

So pitiful!

That vendor is disgusting.

He shouldn’t have even gotten 200 yuan he deserves a slap!

Streamer, connect with @VeterinaryMasterWang.

I’ve seen him help a lot of paralyzed animals.

Maybe he can offer some advice.

Uh, isn’t the streamer a veterinarian herself?

Why ask someone else for help?

Show effects are one thing, but the injuries on this dog have nothing to do with psychological trauma.

For the sake of the German Shepherd, the streamer should seek professional assistance.

While comforting the German Shepherd, Wen You Ning searched for nearby pet hospitals on her phone.

Luckily, there was one right inside the market, not far from the pet store she originally planned to visit.

“Let’s go.

First, we’ll get you checked out, then we’ll find your owner.”

She removed the dog collar from around its neck.

The attached tag was noticeably damaged, as if it had been smashed.

Only half of it remained, smooth and without any contact information.

There was a small wire stuck to the center probably for tracking.

Maybe it had broken, causing the GPS to fail, which is why no one had found the dog.

As she walked further in, the surroundings grew quieter.

Apart from the occasional staff member sweeping the floor, there wasn’t a single person in sight.

Wen You Ning pushed open the pet hospital’s door, and the wind chime above jingled crisply.

She used her back to hold the door curtain open, pulling the dog cage inside.

“Hello?”

The receptionist stood up to help, seeing her struggle with the cage.

“What happened here?”

Wen You Ning set down the meat box, fully exposing the German Shepherd to the receptionist.

“From my initial judgment, it suffered a severe impact.

It could have been a car accident or someone throwing it from a high place.

I want to get it an X-ray.”

The receptionist’s eyes softened with pity upon seeing the dog’s condition.

“Follow me.

Do you know exactly what caused the injuries?”

“No idea.

I just bought it from a dog vendor.”

Hearing that, the receptionist immediately understood.

“Got it.

Help me lift it onto the table.”

“Whimper…”

The German Shepherd flinched at the stranger’s outstretched hand.

“I’ll do it.”

Wen You Ning gently adjusted the coat covering the dog and carefully lifted it from the cage.

Its hind legs lay limp, completely useless.

As she held it, only its ears twitched slightly.

It didn’t struggle, just stared at her with wide, cautious eyes so pitiful it was heartbreaking.

The moment it was picked up, it buried its head in her arms, as if trying to hide.

Others might not notice, but Wen You Ning could feel it trembling in her embrace.

She softly patted its back and spoke in a soothing tone.

“Don’t be afraid.

We’re just taking some X-rays, okay?

You’ll be able to stand up soon.

Don’t worry, everything will be alright.”

The veterinarian paused.

With her experience, she knew that the chances of this German Shepherd standing again were slim to none.

She sighed softly.

“Whimper…”

“Gone…”

“Gone?

What’s gone?”

“My tail…”

“Your tail is still there.

You just can’t feel it right now.”

The dog couldn’t quite describe the sensation of paralysis.

All it knew was that it couldn’t move.

While continuing to soothe it, Wen You Ning placed the German Shepherd onto the examination table.

The veterinarian adjusted the machine.

“There’s some radiation involved.

Would you like to wait outside?”

Wen You Ning looked down and met the Shepherd’s wide, unblinking gaze.

“Just take the X-ray like this.”

The radiation from veterinary machines was lower than a human CT scan.

It would naturally be metabolized by the body, so it wasn’t a big concern.

The German Shepherd had been trapped in that filthy cage for who knows how long.

Even though it was now free, it was still incredibly uneasy.

Wen You Ning rested her arm under its head, occasionally stroking its ears and petting its fur.

“Let’s begin.”

“Alright.”

…

The German Shepherd remained completely silent throughout the procedure.

It barely blinked, as if afraid that if it closed its eyes, the person in front of it would disappear.

Wen You Ning covered its eyes with her hand.

“Doesn’t staring like that make you tired?”

“Whimper…”

Her palm felt warm against its face.

She took her index finger and gently rubbed its brow.

“All done.”

The veterinarian walked back into the room with the X-ray film.

“It’ll take about ten minutes.”

“Alright.”

Wen You Ning took the dog’s paw in her hand.

“You’re so good.

Such a well-behaved boy.”

“Woof!”

The Shepherd lifted its head slightly.

All animals loved being praised.

“Come on, let’s go wait outside.”

She picked up the dog, including the absorbent pad beneath it, and carried it into the consultation room.

The Shepherd had no control over its bodily functions, and she didn’t want it to dirty the examination table.

While waiting for the results, Wen You Ning finally glanced at the livestream chat.

At some point, the viewership had surged past 3,000.

She blinked in surprise.

“Welcome, everyone, to the stream.”

Ahhh, the streamer finally noticed the chat!

She’s so gentle and patient.

That poor dog…

I really hope it can stand again.

VeterinaryMasterWang: The chances of it standing again are very low.

Let’s wait for the X-rays to confirm.

Nooo!

If this good boy can’t walk again, I’ll be devastated!

On this platform, streamer messages had a unique color, different from regular viewers.

In the flood of comments, Wen You Ning immediately spotted the one from VeterinaryMasterWang.

She scrolled up and saw many people tagging him.

It seemed like he was an expert in pet care, a professional veterinarian from a top-tier pet hospital.

A pretty authoritative figure in this field.

“Hello.”

The veterinarian returned with the developed X-ray film and placed it on the illuminated viewing panel.

The livestream camera, mounted on the cage, captured the scene perfectly.

One glance was all it took for Wen You Ning to relax completely.

“No bone damage.

It’s a nerve issue.

That’s great news.”

At the same time, a message popped up in the chat from VeterinaryMasterWang.

No bone damage.

It’s a nerve issue.

That’s terrible news.

???

The chat exploded in confusion.

Wait, so… who am I supposed to believe?

Seriously? Two completely opposite answers? My tears are stuck in my eyes, unsure if they should fall. Are you two messing with me?

So what’s the truth? Is the dog okay or not?

Not only were the livestream viewers confused, but even Wang himself was puzzled.

This streamer didn’t seem like she was putting on a show.

She genuinely cared about the German Shepherd’s condition.

But why was she so happy to learn that the dog’s nerves were damaged?

She even laughed.

This made no sense to Wang.

He had entered the livestream because the chat was full of people discussing how the streamer was trying to save the German Shepherd.

He thought he might be able to help.

But now, things were taking an unexpected turn.

The veterinarian at the pet hospital had just been about to explain the X-ray results when she was caught off guard by Wen You Ning’s reaction.

“What?”

Wen You Ning placed her hand where the vet was pointing on the Shepherd’s back.

“If the bones are intact, then it means there’s a slight misalignment pressing on the nerves.”

She moved her fingers downward.

“Find the exact location, realign the bones, and that should fix it.”

“How would you even find the exact spot?”

The vet instinctively argued.

“Look at the X-ray here and here. Further down, everything appears normal.

Paralysis in a dog’s hind legs can be caused by many things.

You’re not wrong nerve compression from misaligned bones is a possibility.

But…”

The vet sighed.

“Our equipment isn’t advanced enough to detect something that fine.

Whether it’s a CT scan, MRI, or enhanced CT, none of them can pinpoint it.”

For pets that develop paralysis later in life, rehabilitation and acupuncture were often the only options to help them walk again.

“Then I’ll rely on touch.”

Wen You Ning placed her hands on the Shepherd’s back and carefully felt around.

The dog’s condition needed to be confirmed with X-rays first.

She hadn’t dared to make any moves earlier because if there was spinal damage, forcing realignment could have made things worse.

Now that she was sure it wasn’t a spinal injury, she was free to proceed.

The vet watched her fingers tap lightly over the dog’s body like a pianist playing the keys.

Slowly, a frown formed on her face.

“You have no idea how complex canine nerves are “

Click.

A faint but distinct snap was heard.

The Shepherd’s previously limp hind legs suddenly curled inward.

Its tail, which had been lying motionless on the table, lifted slightly.

The vet’s eyes widened.

“This”

How was that possible?!

!!!

WHAT?! DID I JUST SEE THAT?! The Shepherd’s legs moved!

Streamer, you’re amazing!

I thought you were just here for entertainment, but you actually know your stuff?! The real clown here is me.

@VeterinaryMasterWang: You know Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Wen You Ning withdrew her hands.

“A little.”

@VeterinaryMasterWang: You’re being modest.

How long until the Shepherd fully recovers?

If she could do this, then “a little” was a serious understatement.

Traditional Chinese Medicine wasn’t rare, but veterinary TCM specialists were.

This streamer was the real deal.

“I’ll do some acupuncture at home.

In two or three days, it should be able to walk normally again.”

The Shepherd, clearly excited about regaining its tail or perhaps just happy in general wagged it nonstop.

Wen You Ning stroked its fur and said, “Let’s take a blood sample for a full-body check-up too.”

“Alright.”

The vet took a vial of blood.

As the Shepherd tried to lick its fur, Wen You Ning gently held it still.

“Doctor, I’ll take it to the pet store next door for a bath.

I’ll come back for the results later.”

“Sure.

Do you need help?”

“No, I can manage.”

She lifted the Shepherd with ease.

Despite its size, it was all skin and bones and didn’t feel heavy at all.

Since she had to return anyway, she left her bags of meat and vegetables at the hospital.

At the Pet Supply Store

At the entrance, a groomer was trimming a poodle’s fur.

Hearing the door open, he looked up and smiled.

“Welcome!”

“Hello.

Do you offer dog baths here?”

“Of course.”

The groomer turned and called out, “Xiao Lu, come assist the customer.”

“Coming!”

A young woman hurried over while tying on her uniform apron.

“This German Shepherd needs a bath, right?

Just leave it to me.”

“Woof!”

The Shepherd clearly rejected the idea of a stranger touching it.

In this unfamiliar environment, the only person it trusted was Wen You Ning.

Realizing the girl was about to take it away, the dog buried its head deeper into Wen You Ning’s chest.

No matter how hard it tried, its large frame meant it couldn’t exactly disappear like a small breed.

“I’ll wash it myself.”

Wen You Ning said, “I’ll just borrow the space and bathing products.

I’ll pay the full fee.”

“That’s fine too.”

It wasn’t unusual for pet owners to rent the space rather than bathe their pets at home.

Xiao Lu calmly led her upstairs.

She pulled the curtain closed to prevent other dogs from barking in excitement.

Pointing to a large tub in the center, she explained, “This one’s for large breeds.

The water’s freshly changed and at the ideal temperature for dogs.

This bottle is the cleaning shampoo.

This one’s for softening and detangling fur.

Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

On her way out, Xiao Lu casually closed the back door behind her.

“Alright, time for a bath!”

Wen You Ning removed the absorbent pad and her coat.

Some of the Shepherd’s fur was so matted it couldn’t be salvaged, so she shaved it off.

Shaving didn’t hurt, but animals could sense when it was happening.

Even though the Shepherd had regained feeling in its hind legs, it still couldn’t move freely yet.

It stretched its neck, trying to keep Wen You Ning in its line of sight.

A pile of dirty fur accumulated on the floor.

She peeled off her disposable gloves and ruffled the dog’s head.

“Get ready for the water.

Stay still, okay?”

“Whimper…”

“I won’t move.”

She tossed the gloves into the trash.

When she turned back, the Shepherd was awkwardly straining its neck.

“Pfft No, not now.

I meant don’t move once you’re in the water.”

“Whimper?”

“You can move now.”

“Woof!”

The tired Shepherd immediately collapsed onto the soft pad.

“Woof… tired…”

It let out a long sigh.