It’s not uncommon for dog owners – particularly those who have puppies – to come home to find furniture gnawed on, shoes chewed, and cupboards seemingly ransacked.
In fact, it’s rather common. Any experienced dog owner will know that turning a blind eye for a second can result in rather disastrous consequences. After all, puppies are no different from human toddlers in their nature – they have be taught what’s right and wrong, and they will continue to push boundaries and test limits until they know for sure.
Yet nibbling on a rug or breaking into the kitchen in search of food is small-time mischief compared to what one bulldog, Harley, put owner David Lindsay through.
As per reports, David fell asleep on the sofa one day and woke up to find that Harley had chewed his toe to the bone! Whilst we’re well aware that sounds undeniably horrific, the story does have twist, so stick with it…
David Lindsay is the proud owner of a cute, floppy-eared bulldog named Harley. As with most all puppy owners, David likely expected a few teething problems as the young dog got used to his new surroundings at home. It’s safe to say, though, that David had absolutely no idea that taking a nap on his sofa one day would have such gory consequences.
According to reports, David had fallen asleep on his couch, only to be abruptly woken up by the sound of his wife screaming.
David explained: “I was asleep on the couch when my wife walked in and shouted, ‘Dave, the puppy’s chewing your toe!’
“My puppy had near enough chewed my big toe off! It chewed down to the bone and cracked it.”
I’m sure we can all agree that having your dog make a snack of your toe is no one’s idea of a fun time, but what was more alarming for David was the fact that he had slept through the ordeal.
“Because of all this, I discovered that my foot is completely numb, I can’t feel anything,” David said.
David, a dad-of-five from Cambridge, UK, went to hospital immediately, where he was placed on intravenous antibiotics to ensure his wound didn’t become ground zero for any type of infection.
Doctors then conducted CT scans on his foot, and the results of the scans showed that David had arguably a bigger problem to contend with: he was living with two blocked arteries.
That meant that David’s entire leg was at serious risk of needing to be amputated if the blood supply wasn’t returned. In a truly bizarre turn of events, the fact that Harley took the opportunity to chomp on his owner’s toe might have even saved his life.
Fortunately, doctors were able to intervene by assessing David for stents that would re-open the blocked arteries, thus allowing for a normal blood flow to his leg once again.
“I’m waiting to find out if they can put stents in,” David said at the time. “I’ll be keeping the dog.”
“I’ll try to keep my toe too, but if not I told the doctor to cut it off and I can take it home for him!”
Reports say that David was hospitalized for a week, but was then able to return home to his partner and, of course, Harley.
What are the chances of that? I guess Harley deserves some recognition, all things considered. If you liked reading this article, check out the dog who refused to stop sniffing their owner’s nose – before the owner realized she was trying to warn her!
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