Veterinary Teaching Hospital, of The HU’s Koret School of Veterinary Medicine mission: saving Mikey

Mikey is a dog in the IDF’s ‘Oketz’ Canine Unit. In November 2023 she suffered traumatic injuries in Gaza when a grenade exploded very near her. She was transferred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) in Beit Dagan, the clinical arm of the Hebrew University’s Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, where she was hospitalized for 50 days, undergoing several complex surgeries for eye, leg and brain injuries, plus treatment for pneumonia. Due to brain damage, it was unclear if Mikey would be able to walk again. The VTH and Mikey’s commanders contacted a human hospital in Israel and asked if she could be treated using hyperbaric oxygen therapy, an approach that has been used to treat soldiers with brain injuries. Thanks to the huge emotional investment and perseverance of the VTH team and the soldier to whom she is assigned, Mikey is now back on her feet. This news story about Mikey was shown on Israel’s Channel 12 TV station.