Ohio woman forced to have arms and legs amputated after catching deadly infection from pet dog's saliva
An Ohio business owner could never imagine an affectionate lick on her arm from one of her beloved dogs would threaten her life.
Marie Trainer's near-death symptoms emerged shortly after she returned from a Caribbean vacation on May 10 with her husband, and their dogs licked them in excitement, according to Fox 8.
The innocent gesture eventually made Trainer feel nauseated and her body temperature began to fluctuate. Even after being taken to hospital, her condition just kept getting worse.
Trainer later developed gangrene after her body became septic, forcing doctors to place her in an induced coma.
“If we did not proceed with the amputations, it was going to lead to her death, and quickly,” Marie’s step-daughter Gina Premier, a nurse practitioner herself, told the outlet.
Ten days later, she gained consciousness, only to find her arms and legs had been partially amputated.
“When I opened my eyes I didn’t know where I was,” Trainer told the outlet. “It was very hard to find out that they had to remove my legs and my arms... Very hard to cope with.”
However, the amputations may have just saved her life.
After undergoing a battery of tests, hospital staff determined the cause of infection was capnocytophaga—a germ commonly found in dogs and cats that can reportedly be contagious after coming in close contact.
That said, the exposure does not usually result in critical circumstances as faced by Trainer.
Nonetheless, medical experts believe the germ may have entered her bloodstream via a small scrape on her arm.
“[It is] fairly common in the oral flora or the mouth of a dog and it can be transmitted through a bite or sometimes just contact with saliva," infectious disease expert Dr. Margaret Kobe told Fox 8 of capnocytophaga. "That organism is very virulent. It has the ability to induce your immune system to do some pretty horrible things.”
Kobe added that Trainer's serious reaction to the otherwise harmless gesture is extremely rare, and occurs in about one in million people.
She said people mustn't become afraid of their pets, but should however become aware of germs that can cause such infections on contact and should be able to recognize symptoms as soon as possible.
“If you get bit by a dog you definitely need to go on antibiotics and to wash your hands when playing with a dog, especially with an open cut," Kobe told Fox 8.
Trainer has since had eight surgeries and been hospitalized for more than 80 days.
However, she is grateful her husband Matthew Trainer has been a source of inspiration throughout her recovery.
“He’s here every day for me... every day he feeds me, and dresses me here every day,” Trainer told Fox 8. “I mean what do you do? I had to learn how to sit up, roll over, it’s been just very hard.”
Having said that, the family has no plans to get rid of their fur babies.
“We still love our animals,” Matthew said.