Man contracted life-threatening infection and almost lost an arm after sleeping in bed with his dog
A man contracted a life-threatening infection and nearly lost a limb after letting his dog sleep in his bed.
For some pet owners, allowing your dog to sleep on the bed is a huge no-no. But others are happy to share their sleeping space with their furry friends.
One man, from Australia, had a nasty shock when he was asleep with his dog and accidentally rolled over and punched the animal in the face.
His dog was so startled by the sudden movement, that he bit his owner on the arm.
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Although the man was shocked, he only sought medical attention when his arm became swollen and covered in pus-filled spots.
After being admitted to hospital, the man's blood pressure dropped to a dangerously low level, which can be a red flag for sepsis - a life-threatening condition.
Medics discovered that the man was suffering from a severe bacterial infection known as necrotizing fasciitis.
The condition is a rare but life-threatening infection that can happen if a wound gets infected.
The NHS explain that symptoms can develop quickly over hours and days.
At first you may have:
- intense pain or loss of feeling near to a cut or wound – the pain may seem much worse than you would usually expect from a cut or wound
- swelling of the skin around the affected area
- flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headache and tiredness
Other symptoms can include:
- being sick and diarrhoea
- confusion
- black, purple or grey blotches and blisters on the skin (these may be less obvious on black or brown skin)
The disease caused sepsis, with the man writing on Reddit: "My dog only just got the edge of my wrist with 1 deep canine tooth wound. I was told at the time that the bacteria that caused my Necrotising Fasciitis lives on human skin and if any wound is deep enough, there's roughly a 1 in 10,000 chance that it will enter your system and cause an infection."
While medics saved the man's arms, he also had organ damage from the septic shock.
"The surgeons managed to save my arm, although it was close going," he explained.
"The medications prescribed to me accelerated another condition I have, which ended up leaving me in a wheelchair for a while, then crutches for over a year. I'm currently still on crutches.
"There was also some organ damage from the septic shock, which requires regular specialist visits, monitoring/testing, and some ongoing medication."
He added: "My kidneys appear to be ok, heart only took minor damage, brain is still a question. I'm slower than I was, and struggling with memory a bit, but I'm still pretty medicated."
The man also added that he still has his dog, with medics explaining that the bacteria likely came from his own skin, rather than his dog's mouth.
"[Doctors] told me that it was almost certainly not from his mouth but from my skin.
"...I still have my dog, he's a good boi. He had a rough time when I went to hospital, things escalated so quickly and then I was put into a 5 day induced coma."
Lucy Devine