Dog Saves Drunk Man's Life By Eating His Toe

10:04am UK, Wednesday August 04, 2010

Catherine Collins, Sky News Online

A dog who chewed off his owner's big toe when he passed out after a day of drinking has been hailed a lifesaver.

'Have-a-toe-hero' Kiko, a Jack Russell terrier, apparently sensed an infection in Jerry Douthett's right big toe.

And he munched on it while his master was asleep at home in Rockford, Michigan.

A trip to the hospital confirmed Douthett's digit needed amputation and alerted doctors to the fact that he had been suffering from undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes.

Mr Douthett, 48, had been refusing to seek medical treatment for his infected toe for several weeks when the incident happened.

He said he had been working up the courage to see a doctor when he downed several alcoholic drinks during a night out and passed out on his bed.

He woke up to find the dog beside him and a pool of blood near his foot.

"The toe was gone," said Mr Douthett.

"He ate it. I mean, he must have eaten it, because we couldn't find it anywhere else in the house. I look down, there's blood all over, and my toe is gone."

Doctors later discovered that the infection had reached the bone and were forced to amputate what was left of the toe.

Before the surgery, Mr Douthett asked a nurse, "Is there any chance I can get whatever's left of my toe, so I can give it to Kiko as a treat?"

"He's a hero. He pretty much just ate the infection. He saved my life," Mr Douthett told Wood TV, adding he has since sworn off alcohol.

Kiko is still with the family but under observation by authorities.

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