An Israeli Special Forces Alsatian, blown up by a Hamas grenade, is back on his feet after becoming the first dog in the world to undergo oxygen therapy.
Mikey was weeks away from retirement when a terrorist attacked her in Gaza, leaving her with catastrophic injuries to her face, body and legs.
Explosives specialist from the elite canine unit Oketz was evacuated to Israel on November 12 and vets fought for two weeks to save her.
But despite surgery to remove shrapnel from her eyes, ears, legs, abdomen and head, the outlook was bleak.
Remnants of explosives in her brain meant the nine-year-old girl may never walk again – and vets feared for her life.
With no options left, Mikey's superiors insisted she receive the best treatment possible and called Professor Shai Efrati at his leading hyperbaric medicine and research facility near Tel Aviv.
Mikey was weeks away from retirement when a terrorist attacked her in Gaza and she suffered catastrophic injuries to her face, body and legs
Mikey receives bursts of 100 percent oxygen through a face mask in a chamber that doubles the atmospheric pressure for two hours six times a week
In the photo: Mikey is helped out of the room by technician Bari Tamam
Incredibly, after just a few weeks of treatment in the Shamir Medical Center ward, the Alsatian is doing much better
While Mikey's recovery has been remarkable, she still has a long road ahead given the extent of her injuries
Incredibly, after just a few weeks of treatment in the Shamir Medical Center ward, the Alsatian is back on his feet.
“This is even better than we thought,” Professor Efrati told the Daily Mail. 'The results are so amazing, it's like a leap forward in terms of response to treatment and what happens in people.
'In every session she gets, there are five sessions with people. It's amazing progress she's made.”
Since she was a puppy, Mikey had served in the Israeli Army's Oketz Unit and the Independent Special Dog Unit.
It consists of dogs specialized in attacking, tracking or sniffing out enemy ammunition.
Mikey was an explosive detonator dog sent to scan buildings for traps before Israeli forces entered.
She was working with her handler to wipe out Hamas deep in Gaza when a terrorist threw a grenade that exploded in her face.
Mikey was an explosive detonator dog sent to scan buildings for traps before Israeli forces entered
Incredibly, after just a few weeks of treatment in the Shamir Medical Center ward, the Alsatian is doing much better
Professor Shai Efrati with Mikey in her cart, ready to leave after treatment
Professor Shai Efrati with Mikey in her cart, ready to leave after treatment
Incredibly, after just a few weeks of treatment in the Shamir Medical Center ward, the Alsatian is back on his feet
Mikey is helped out of the room by technician Bari Tamam
Mikey receives bursts of 100 percent oxygen through a face mask in a chamber that doubles the atmospheric pressure for two hours six times a week
Mikey receives bursts of 100 percent oxygen through a face mask in a chamber that doubles the atmospheric pressure for two hours six times a week.
Although Professor Efrati pioneered the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat blast wounds in soldiers, he hesitated when asked to use it on an animal.
“I told them I don't treat dogs,” he said. 'They explained to me that this is a special dog that was injured in Gaza serving Israel. I said, okay, now we're listening.
“We want to give Mikey the best treatment we get to any soldier who is injured on the battlefield.
“That's who we are in Israel, we want to give the best to our soldiers. And Mikey she is, she's one of our soldiers.”
Hyperbaric therapy works by flooding the blood with pressurized oxygen, raising oxygen levels from 100 mg per 100 ml to 1,600 mg per 100 ml.
This bypasses oxygen passing through damaged blood vessels to allow the stem cells to grow.
Mikey receives bursts of 100 percent oxygen through a face mask in a chamber that doubles the atmospheric pressure for two hours six times a week.
Incredibly, after just a few weeks of treatment in the Shamir Medical Center ward, the Alsatian is back on his feet
Professor Shai Efrati and veterinarian with Mikey after her treatment
While Mikey's recovery has been remarkable, she still has a long road ahead given the extent of her injuries
Mikey in her cart ready to leave after treatment
Professor Shai Efrati, technician Bari Tamam and the vet drive Mikey in his cart and leave the hospital after treatment
In the photo: Professor Shai Efrati looks at Mikey during treatment
Mikey receives bursts of 100 percent oxygen through a face mask in a chamber that doubles the atmospheric pressure for two hours six times a week
While Professor Efrati (pictured) has pioneered the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat blast wounds in soldiers, he hesitated when asked to use it on an animal.
But while the treatment has been a success, Professor Efrati said there are challenges.
“We need cooperation,” he jokes. 'If she keeps a dog in the room for two hours, she wants to play, move, respond.
'In the beginning, when we started the treatment, she was unconscious, so the treatment was easy. Now she wants to move – but that's okay, that's why we're treating her.'
While Mikey's recovery has been remarkable, she still has a long road ahead given the extent of her injuries.
But Professor Efrati is curious to see where another two months of treatment will take her. “When she came in, there was a real threat to her life.
“She's better now than even we thought she could be. It's just great to see.'
However, there is one major problem with her treatment. “After these results, I don't think this will be the last time I will be asked to treat a dog,” he said.