Rescued dog receiving light therapy treatment as part of his care
A small dog - likely a Pekingese cross - is on the mend at a Winnipeg animal hospital after being attacked in northern Manitoba two weeks ago, thanks in part to a new light treatment.
Percy, believed to be around three years old, was found on the side of the road near The Pas.
Volunteers with Manitoba Animal Alliance (MAA) rushed him to a veterinarian in Swan River. They initially believed he had been shot.
"We became aware that it was actually a brutal attack by a group of dogs - an alpha male up there and his bullies,” Marly Abel, an MAA volunteer fostering Percy, told CTV News.
Percy was bit several times leaving him with open wounds and at risk of severe infection.
"You could tell he was in a lot of pain. We couldn't give him enough medication to help relax his body,” Abel said.
Percy has been receiving care at Centennial Animal Hospital since arriving in Winnipeg.
Along with antibiotics and hydrotherapy, Percy is receiving a new treatment called Phovia Light Therapy. It was introduced in Canada last fall.
"Essentially, it's really non-invasive which is really nice. It just kind of feels like a warm light for the patient,” Veronique Thompson, a head technician at Centennial Animal Hospital, told CTV News.
Phovia uses an LED light and chromophore gel to produce wavelength fluorescent light energy. The time and cost-effective treatment penetrates skin layers to help accelerate natural regeneration.
"It targets the cells directly and just helps skin heal faster,” Thompson explained.
Each affected area is treated for two minutes at a time. Thompson said in successful cases, Phovia can heal wounds up to 50 per cent faster compared to just antibiotic treatment.
"It's hard to say exactly how much faster it is because every case is a little bit different,” Thompson said. “But for Percy, his skin has definitely healed faster than I've seen in past cases."
Marly Abel, who is Percy's foster, said she’s seen a drastic change in Percy’s behaviour since he first arrived in her care.
"Within the week, we have noticed such a big difference. He's excited to see us. He's excited to come to his spa treatments,” Abel said.
Percy is expected to make a full recovery and hopefully find a forever home soon.
"(He) just (needs) someone that just really cares for him and really appreciates how sweet of a dog he is. I think he deserves that,” Thompson said.
Percy is the sixth animal to get Phovia light therapy at Centennial Animal Hospital.
He is available for adoption through Manitoba Animal Alliance.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.