When Biji, an 11 year old Bichon Frise, began to slow down on his daily walks, his owner chalked it up to age. But within a few weeks, the feisty little guy who'd been happily trotting alongside the other two bichons in his family on their daily mile walk, could barely make it half a block without his tail dropping. Other things were happening to Biji too. Despite a strict diet, he'd managed to put on quite a potbelly. His once frizzy coat was getting thin and he was developing circular bald spots on his sides. All he wanted to do was sleep and eat.

When his owner took him in for a checkup, the vet took one look at Biji and said it looked like Cushing's Disease. A few weeks later, tests confirmed it. Cushing's Disease is caused by a tumor that increases the production of cortisol and causes some of the symptoms Biji had been exhibiting. Biji was placed on chemotherapy to destroy part of the adrenal gland, thus reducing the amount of cortisol produced. He would have to stay on this regimen twice a week for the rest of his life.

One of the effects of Cushing's Disease is the wasting of muscles. Biji's once strong legs had become like sticks. Although his belly began to return to normal and his coat improved after a few months on the medication, he was still lethargic, due to his lack of muscle tone. His status in his family's pet pack slipped from Alpha to Omega. He was even being pushed around by the newest and lowest ranking cat! Not surprisingly, Biji stayed pretty depressed most of the time.

Biji's "mom" was discussing his recovery with a friend who was involved in holistic pet care and the subject of massage came up. A few days later, she saw one of Michael Holloway's cards in her vet's office. Michael, an LMT for people, had recently begun treating companion animals, using some of the TTouch techniques developed by animal therapist Linda Tellington-Jones, and other modalities. So Biji was scheduled for a massage.

At the first session, Biji was so frightened that he stood rigid on the table for the first 15 or 20 minutes, shaking and grinding his teeth. He probably figured this was just another awful time at the place where bad things happen. Slowly, as Michael traced gentle TTouch circles on his head, legs, and body, he began to relax. By the end of the session, Biji seemed to be enjoying himself. The next session was a little better but it still took him about 5 minutes to feel secure enough to lie down. When he arrived for the third session, Biji actually walked in the door by himself - instead of having to be carried. Michael happened to be behind the desk and called out to Biji. This would usually cause Biji to cringe and shake, but he perked up his ears.

Biji has been receiving weekly massages for 10 months and the results have been excellent. His legs, formerly stick-like are now well muscled. Best of all, his energy level has returned. He now walks over a mile a day with his little white tail held high all the way. He's successfully battled the cats for dominance and is taking on the new puppy at every opportunity.

Thanks to his massage therapy, the psychological and emotional quality of Biji's life has been improved along with his physical health.