Woman loses three limbs after dog bite

[Daylight]

Woman loses three limbs after dog bite

Yahoo! July 23, 2013, 8:50 am

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A Canadian woman was in a coma for a month and a half and had three limbs amputated because of an infection after being bitten by her own dog during a game of tug-of-war.

But Christine Caron, 49, says she still feels hope because of the one limb she will keep.

Ms Caron was playing with one of her four dogs when she was accidentally nipped.

Playing tug-of-rope with her three-year-old Shih Tzu Buster, the dog 'nicked' her on the knuckle trying to get a better grip.

She didn't think anything of it at the time as the other dogs licked her wound.

But doctors say that it was either the initial bite or the dogs licking the wound that could have transferred the virulent capnocytophaga canimorsus bacteria that made her critically ill.

The Ottawa Citizen reports that the bacteria is commonly found in dog saliva.

The infection was aggressive when it took hold and Ms Caron slipped into a coma. When she woke up, doctors said they would need to amputate all four limbs.

“I had some personal hard days,” she told the Ottawa Citizen. “But the main worry was how I was going to deal with my family.”

But then the moment came when doctors said they may be able to save her hand.

She says there is no doubt in her mind that, whatever it takes, she is going to have a normal life.

“Yes, I am. And so is my family.”

Now, she says there’s no doubt in her mind that, whatever it takes, she is going to have a normal life.

“Yes, I am. And so is my family.”

In the meantime, family and friends are rallying around to help pay for prosthetic limbs and changes to her house as she has no private insurance.

They have set up a website to raise funds and Ms Caron added: "That’s just been incredible in helping me feel a little better on how we’re going to pay for everything."

 

[Daylight]

'My legs were black and my arm looked mummified': Mother-of-four loses THREE LIMBS after being bitten by her pet Shih Tzu Buster

• Christine Caron, 49, from Ottawa, had both her legs and an arm amputated after her mixed breed dog gave her a small bite
  
• The mother-of-four went into septic shock after becoming infected by a bacteria in her dog's saliva

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER PUBLISHED: 03:53 GMT, 23 July 2013 | UPDATED: 06:05 GMT, 23 July 2013
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A single mother-of-four has had three limbs amputated after a small bite from her pet Shih Tzu left her fighting for her life. Christine Caron, 49, had both her legs and an arm amputated after her mixed breed called Buster gave her a small bite on May 22. She brushed off the injury and allowed one of her three other dogs to lick the wound. Three days later, Ms Caron from Ottawa in Canada, went into septic shock after her wound became infected with Capnocytophaga canimorsus - a bacteria common in dog's saliva.

Rare infection: Christine Caron, 49, had her legs and arm amputated after she was bitten by her pet dog in Mayin May

Injury: Shih Tzu Buster bit his owner in May which is believed to have caused her terrible illness

Ms Caron's extreme reaction to the bacteria left doctors fighting to save her life. The medical team at Ottawa Hospital were forced to put her into an induced coma for six weeks.The septic shock caused blood flow to be restricted to her limbs and left doctors' with no choice but to amputate. The 49-year-old told CBCNews: 'When I woke up my legs were black and my arm looked sort of mummified.'

Doctors are unsure if the infection spread from the bite or from a dog licking the wound. To make matters worse, Ms Caron, who was a keen runner and gardener before she was struck down by the rare infection, does not have health insurance. Her family have set up a fundraising page to help pay for her prosthetics.

Repair: The 49-year-old is due to have skin grafts on her badly injured hand

Plight: Ms Caron, 49, is helped into her hospital bed by her daughter after losing three limbs to septic shock

The family has raised $13,000 so far - but will need around $100,000 to pay for medical bills and renovations to her home.Ms Caron is awaiting surgery for skin grafts on her right hand which she lost movement in but is hoping will recover. She is expected to spend another six months at the rehab center. The 49-year-old's four dogs are believed to be being looked after by family while she is in hospital. The mother-of-four has shown incredible spirit following the rare infection, saying that she wants to live for her four children and that she will keep fighting because they need her. She also warned others that if they feel unwell following a dog bite, to have it checked out by the doctor. Capnocytophaga canimorsus is common in the saliva of both dogs and cats. It is normally not seriously harmful to healthy adults. It has been estimated that 1million Americans are bitten by dogs every year with chance of infection from canines varying between 3 and 20 per cent.

Full life: The single mother of four was a keen runner and gardener before she contracted the serious illness

Family support: One of Ms Caron's daughters walks her four dogs as she recovers in hospital
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