A much loved Christchurch therapy dog who spent five years unable to open his mouth properly has undergone complex surgery, giving him the chance to do something most dogs take for granted.

Mak, a five year old golden retriever from Diamond Harbour, is recovering at home after travelling to Massey University Veterinary Hospital in Palmerston North for specialist jaw surgery.

For the first time in his life, Mak can open his mouth wider, eat his dinner with greater ease and even stick out his tongue.

His owner, Kaye Jones, told chrislynchmedia.com the transformation has already been remarkable.

“I have noticed such huge differences in Mak already. His smile is bigger!”

For Jones, one particularly special moment came when she was finally able to hand feed Mak and feel his tongue against her hand.

“This may be a small thing for other pet owners but post op, being able to hand feed him and feel his tongue on my hand was very poignant and highly emotional. My heart just melted.”

“For five years he has not been able to get his tongue out of his mouth so I can only imagine how it felt for him as well.”

Before the operation, it took Mak around 45 minutes to finish his dinner. He can now eat the same meal in less than five minutes.

But Mak is no ordinary golden retriever.

Despite living with an exceptionally rare and painful medical condition since he was a puppy, he has spent much of his life bringing comfort and happiness to others.

He is a familiar face through St John’s Therapy Pet Programme, Christchurch Airport’s PAWS programme and his work as a school dog at Broadfield School near Rolleston.

Whether comforting people, helping nervous travellers or spending time with schoolchildren, Mak has continued helping others while quietly coping with serious physical limitations of his own.

Mak suffers from temporomandibular joint ankylosis, a rare condition that caused his jaw joint to fuse, leaving him unable to open his mouth more than a few centimetres.

He had never been able to catch a tennis ball, take a treat from the air or enjoy a proper yawn. His condition eventually became life threatening when one of his lower canine teeth grew upwards and pierced the roof of his mouth, creating an opening into his nasal cavity.

The injury caused ongoing pain, increased the risk of infection and made eating increasingly difficult.

Normal dental treatment was impossible because Mak could not open his jaw far enough for veterinarians to access the affected area.

The only option was highly specialised surgery to restore movement to his jaw.

The operation involved an extraordinary collaboration between veterinary specialists in New Zealand and the United States.

Jones said specialist veterinary dentist Dr Crystal Loh and Dr Angus Fechney from Massey University travelled to the University of California, Davis, shortly before Mak’s surgery to receive practical instruction and research techniques specifically for his unusual condition.

Professor Boaz Arzi, an internationally recognised specialist in veterinary dentistry and oral surgery at UC Davis, also played an important role in developing Mak’s treatment plan.

Dr Loh is a registered specialist in veterinary dentistry who has worked on complex animal dental cases, including treating a tiger at Auckland Zoo.

Jones said “it truly is overwhelming to have the calibre of expertise in Mak’s corner, from our local vet in Diamond Harbour to Dr. Crystal, the ‘rock star’ of New Zealand Veterinary Dentistry, and world leader in his field Dr. Arzi at UC Davis.”

The specialist team is pleased with Mak’s progress, although his treatment is far from finished.

Once his jaw has healed sufficiently, veterinarians plan to remove the damaged canine tooth responsible for creating the opening between his mouth and nasal cavity, known as an oronasal fistula.

Mak will also require extensive dental treatment after five years of being unable to open his mouth properly.

Jones said “It was an incredibly stressful and emotional time but we are on the other side now and back resting in Mak’s own environment.”

“The specialist team are very pleased with the outcome and said Mak has ticked all the boxes so far.”

Mak has also been a constant source of companionship for Jones following the death of her husband, Pete, from cancer when Mak was just seven months old.

Since then, the pair have shared an especially close bond, with Mak helping Jones through her grief while continuing his work bringing happiness to others.

When chrislynchmedia.com first shared Mak’s story in July, supporters rallied behind a Givealittle fundraising campaign to help cover the considerable costs of specialist surgery, travel and rehabilitation.

Jones said the public response had been extraordinary. “To all those people to help us along the way, from donations to goodie bags for the road trip, all the love, kind words of encouragement and support, thank you. Because of you the kick start to Mak’s Givealittle page was big!”

While there is still some way to go before Mak makes a full recovery, Jones is hopeful the operation will give him a much more comfortable future.

For a dog who has spent years comforting people across Canterbury, the improvements are already making an enormous difference.

“Mak has a way to go before full recovery however we are definitely on the up.”

And for Jones, the sight of her beloved golden retriever finally opening his mouth after five years is something she will never take for granted.

“Seeing him open his mouth is pure gold, even with his funky haircut!”

Mak’s Givealittle campaign remains available here.