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We've done stories before on dogs sniffing out diseases their owners didn't even know they had. Now a little terrier named Kiko has one-upped all of them: He went ahead and performed surgery. Kind of.
According to a bizarre story reported in The Grand Rapids Press, Kiko smelled an infection in his owner's right big toe and set about "amputating" it. Which in doggie terms, of course, means he ate it. All the while, Kiko's owner, Jerry Douthett of Rockford, Mich., lay passed-out drunk in his bed. (We told you it was bizarre.)
Video: Thanks to 32-ounce margarita, Jerry Douthett says he felt 'no pain'
Douthett awoke to find a bloody stump where his big toe used to be, and he and his wife rushed to Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich. There, they discovered Douthett actually had type 2 diabetes and was suffering from a dangerous infection in his big toe. Doctors finished the job Kiko had started, and amputated what was left of his toe.
Douthett's wife, Rosee, a registered nurse, had actually suspected her husband had diabetes and insisted he get checked out. But before he did so, he had a few beers. And then a few margaritas. After that, he went home, passed out, and Kiko got to work. Weird story, but Bruce Rossman, a media relations manager at Spectrum Health, confirms that it's true.
Do you credit your own pet with saving your life? Tell us about it in the comments.
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nice beer
My dog, Mr. Beasley, kept licking and biting at a flat mole on my thigh. After licking at it his chin would be filled with froth. I asked my doctor to look at the mole and told him what Mr. Beasley was doing. My doctor told me the mole met none of the criteria for skin cancer, but I asked him to remove it anyway. I had heard of dogs smelling cancer on their owners skin. I had the mole tested and it turned out to be malignant melanoma stage II. I credit Mr. Beasley for saving my life!
I'd get another doctor :-)
Over the course of several months I noticed a dark spot on my forearm that wasn't going away. I thought about going to a dermatologist to ask if was a skin cancer. I put it off. I was visiting my parents one day, and their cat came up to me and immediately started licking the spot that I wondered about. I pushed her away and she came back and starting licking the spot again. I decided to go to the dermatologist who said that it was a precancerous spot. I really believe the cat saved me from a more serious problem. (I've saved that cat's life a couple of time taking her to the doc when no one else in the family had cash for a vet bill. Neat to get paid back in such a cool way!)
Some 'nurse' wife! I hope someone like her never takes care of me! That infection didn't happen overnight and had to have smelled and look bad. She must've graduated 101 in a class of 100. If she did such a bang up job with her drunken hubby, her patients are probably all dead by now.
Easy tiger...my wife works with this woman. She's a good person and, sure he may be an alcoholic, but he does good things too. All in all though, this story is funny as hell!!!
drunks dont listen, nurse or no nurse. i have a doctor friend who had a husband that left his leg rot off rather then seek care. you can lead them to water but then drown them instead.
she may need a refresher course in how to handle husbands
knock them and and drag them to see someone
why is everyone blaming the wife? just because she's a nurse doesn't mean the husband is going to LISTEN to her... you can lead a man anywhere, but he has to walk thru the door himself... been there, done that.. don't blame one because the other doesn't pay attention to thier bodies..... GOOD DOGGIE!
Anyone with a stubborn spouse knows that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink! I have probably told my husband to go to the doctor for things twice as often as he actually goes. Some people just don't like to listen! I would assume she'd been bugging him. Doesn't mean he actually WENT.
This is NOT her fault. He is a grown man and obvioulsy made the decision not to seek medical care. These people are adults and she is not his "mommy" and therefore not responsible for HIS inaction.
Hey hawkeye lookout now Bro! You got 'em all after you now! Could be worse too, might be some PMS here!
glad to see all in defense of the nurse. nonetheless, even if she wasn't a nurse, a necrotic, gangrenous toe is hard to miss and doesn't show up overnight. There is something wrong with both of them. Not the dog, though, but I wouldn't let him lick me now! Yuk!!
Cap'n Crunch Kangaroo or whatever, grow up and put on your big boy pants ;). For those who blame the nurse/wife, have you considered that, quite possibly, someone who has been ignoring symptoms of infection, diabetes, and has drunk himself into a stupor (to the point that he didn't feel even feel the dog's tugging on his leg for this tasty morsel) might not be inclined to follow the advice of his spouse, nurse or not, no matter how she may have pleaded with him to get it checked out. Hmmmm....
Hooray for KIKO! But OMG can you be so drunk that you didn't feel the dog chewing your toe off? WOW is all I can say. I hope they get Kiko to see a Vet asap just in case the ingested infected toe affects his health and well being. Great and inspiring story by the way!
Pay more attention and love for the domestic animals because they are integrated members of this society.
In 2000 my dog Kirby (115 lb. boxer/lab mutt) took off the tips of two of my father's toes. My father did not feel a thing he was reading a newspaper at the time. In his words "he put down the paper looked at the dog sitting in front of him all bloody and saw that he was missing the tips of two toes." My father was rushed to the hospital and the surgeon told us that the dog did a perfect job. Took off only the infected parts and the surgeon just had to put a few stitches in each toe. For a few months everyone sleeping over made sure that they had their feet under the blankets. My father referred to the dog as "Dr. Kirby".
A year later the dog pulled my father over when he was walking him. The doctor told my father that he had a hernia and needed surgery, but before surgery he needed a colonoscopy. My father was surprised to learn that he had colon cancer, but at a perfect stage to have it removed with no chemo required. Again, the dog saved my father's life.
People can make fun of these stories all you want. Everyone should be so lucky as to experience a "miracle pet."
Why bash the wife? The article states she was trying to get him to the doctor's. You can't force a person to go if they don't to.
Doggie treats for the dog - good job!
Man definetly has alcohol issues and his wife has probably told him a million times to have it checked---you can lead a horse to water but make him drink it???? I think not. You can't blame her for his stupidity, it's his body, he don't care, why should she?
This shows you the danger of diabetic neuropathy. They can't feel anything happening to their feet so he might not have even known his foot was a mess.
My dogs have saved me more than once. I wouldn't part with them for a minute. When living in hurricane areas and shelters wouldn't take the pets, I elected to say in the house with the to hopefully save them and myself.
Sometimes my dogs love me more than my family. But they do give unconditional love. I don'tknow what I would do without them.
Hope this guy learned HIS lesson.. NEVER OVERDRINK especially now that he knows he's diabetic!! And I agree with the other poster: How is the DOG doing?
Our dogs have intervened several times on our daughter's behalf. She has had Type 1 Diabetes since she was six. At night the dogs have alerted us to the fact that her blood sugar was dangerously low while she was sleeping. One dog, Shiley, a golden retriever mix, would wake us up and not let us go back to sleep until we checked on our daughter. The other dog, Judge, a great dane, would stand outside her door and whine.
I am a nurse and I agree that she was probably doing the best that she could do with him. My husband has health problems and trying to get him to go to the doctor is next to impossible! I do have to wonder what kind of beer that he was drinking to not feel a DOG EATING HIS TOE!!!!! Yes, diabetes causes circulation problems but really?! Best of luck to him and I certainly hope that dog gets some dental cleaning Milk Bones.
I wonder if they're going to send this to "Ripleys Believe It Or Not"?
Here is another gross story. Not life saving but a little bit of a tummy turner. I have ingrown toenails and when they flare up my dog ever so gently with her teeth will try to grab the in grown part and and remove it. The sweet thing is she is so gentle about it like a fine surgeon. Don't make fun it is the truth.
it isn't gross but you should see a certified podiatrist not a dogiatrist hahaha
Don't make fun ? Are you for real!!?? Hey goober you have issues! Come on Hawk you know it's GROSS. Mikey thats freakish dude. Are you going to use a snake for a colonoscopy???!!!!
OH come on give me a break! It's really OBAMA's fault!!!
Nope it is Bush's fault just ask Obama!
I have been a poorly-controlled Type I diabetic my whole life. (I was diagnosed at age 3 and been on insulin for 36 years now.) Five years ago, my husband got a Pekingese dog as a companion/therapy dog/pet. In the last 5 years, he has alerted my husband and kids 3 or 4 times when my blood sugar dropped too low during my sleep. If it weren't for him, I know I probably wouldn't be here today! He has been there for me when I couldn't speak for myself and is an inspiration to me to work that much harder to get my sugar under control. THANKS, PING - I OWE YOU!!!
Wow...interesting stories all. It's not quite the same, but I once had a Blue Point Siamese that woke me up one Christmas Eve night when the iguana I got for my son knocked the heat lamp off it's cage onto the carpeted floor, face down. When I got into the living room, the lamp had burned a perfect circle in the carpet where it fell but I was in time to keep it from getting any worse, thanks to my very insistent kitty. Loved that cat...
Siamese rock! They are the best cats -- very smart, loyal, and vocal. Many people hate that Simey "voice' but I love it!
Obama's health care program has started !!
if i didnt have my cat i wouldnt brother to get out of bed ... i do it her her not me
she saves my life everyday. this odg is a keeper and i hope this guy knows that and rewards her with a real bone and lots of healthy doggie treats
we should use dogs more to dx cancer... save lives and lots of money
i had cancer and all my moving parts were removed, at the time i had a little poodle mix female named samantha jane. when i came home from the hospital after radiation she never left my side. if i made a noise she was there touching me snuggling up close, putting her little head on my shoulder and licking my neck. she was the best nurse i ever had. my family called her nurse nancy. they know more than we do. to think some people call them dumb animals, seems to me as tho were are the dumb animals. we aren't even smart enough to realize animals other than us are even smarter. good dog, but dumb man, drink yourself into a stupor, really smart. i hope the little doctor does not get sick now.
I had bleeding(lab work) and my rat terrier sniffs it and tried to warn me. I had already known so thanks!!!
Animals Rock they save lives and are sweet....... wow!!
Maybe that dog can be sent to Washington and bite off Obamas infected head
maybe we can send you the dog to crap in your mouth!
Makes me miss my doggie Bear even more. I miss him so much. We got him when he was just a tiny pup. I can still remember the fist day my brother brought him home.
What did you do to him ash? Hit him in the head or something, you know for fist day!
my wife and I adopted a German shepard mix from the ASPCA, she was 100 lbs of pure love,I had just had a cardio procedure and because she had to be walked 2-3 times a day I lost weight, my dr. took me off all my cardio meds.I know that savanah(dog) saved my life. But it dos'nt end there, my wife was acting strange, took her to dr. found out after many tests that she had alzheimer disease, Well it seems that from that moment on savanah became her dog, savanah would follow her around the house as to watch over her.Savanah has since passed away, My wife is getting professional and caring care in an assisted living facility. but in the 6 years that we had savanah she gave us nothing but love and protection and loyalty. I have not told my wife that savanah is not with us any longer because everyday when i go visit my wife she always asked for savanah. Some people say that animals don't have souls, but if God can create something like that , that can give so much love i stand to differ.
Just before our close friend had a heart attack last Sunday morning, his black lab, Buddy, nudged and pushed on him and woke him up about 4:30 a.m. When he awoke, he was experiencing pain radiating down both of his arms. He wound up having the heart attack, fortunately in the ER, 3 hours later. They were able to inject drugs to lighten the blow. YOU GO BUDDY!