London, Aug 4 (IANS) A dog saved its owner’s life in the US by chewing off his toe after he passed out drunk, a media report said Wednesday.
When Jerry Douthett, a resident of Rockford, Michigan, passed out drunk, his pet Kiko chomped his offending big toe after sensing a deadly infection festering in his master’s right foot, The Sun reported.
Later it was revealed that the 48-year-old musician was suffering from undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes. Douthett’s foot had become infected and his blood-sugar level was dangerously high at 560, significantly more than the recommended 80 to 120.
‘If it hadn’t been for that dog, I could have ended up dead,’ Douthett said.
He admitted he had been hiding his infected foot from people, including his wife.
Douthett said he had been working up the courage to attend a doctor when he downed four or five beers and two giant margaritas and passed out on his bed.
He woke up and found the year-old dog beside him and a pool of blood near his foot.
‘The toe was gone. He ate it. I look down, there’s blood all over, and my toe is gone,’ Douthett said.
Tests in a hospital revealed Douthett had a deep infection down to his bone and doctors were forced to amputate what was left of the toe.
