Dirt Dogs Chew off Human Toes?

Rubber prop feet are not great chew toys.

Dirt dogs chew off human toes?  One is an oddity, two is a coincidence, but three is a New Trend! 

Let's start with the latest:

In a case study that illustrates the need for people with diabetes to be cautious of foot injuries and to protect themselves from pets, a woman with numbness in her feet caused by diabetic neuropathy slept through a traumatic episode in which her Jack Russell terrier chewed off part of her slightly infected big toe, according to an article published in this month's issue of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

The patient's wound required surgery, and it ultimately led the amputation of her leg, leaving her a double amputee.

The case study, co-authored by Valley Presbyterian Hospital specialist Lee C. Rogers, D.P.M., is only the second of its kind to be published in the medical literature, although more cases like it have been reported in the media. This case highlights the need for diabetic patients with neuropathy to avoid having their feet or wounds exposed when sleeping with their pets.

"Pets have a tendency to lick wounds, and that simple lick can turn into a bite, if there is no response from the owner."

She lost a toe?  Big deal!  She could have lost her life as this Grand Rapids News article reports in another case in which a Jack Russell chewed off the toe of a diabetic:

Kiko apparently sensed an infection festering in his master's right big toe -- and chewed most of it off after [Jerry] Douthett passed out in a drunken stupor.

A trip to the hospital confirmed Douthett's digit required amputation, and Kiko is being heralded by his owner for helping him realize he has been suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Douthett had a dangerously high blood-sugar level of 560 when admitted -- many times the recommended 80 to 120.

"Jerry had had all these Margaritas, so I just let him sleep," said his wife, Rosee, a registered nurse. "But then I heard these screams coming from the bedroom, and he was yelling, 'My toe's gone, my toe's gone!'"

The Rockford man's strange odyssey began several months ago when he started picking at what he thought was a small sliver on the bottom of his toe. He used a knife to cut skin away from the affected area, but it worsened, swelling so much he had to eschew shoes and resort to loose-fitting sandals.

"I was hiding it from people, Rosee included," said Douthett, 48, who is a musician and a well-known wheeler-dealer in Rockford, where he was born and raised.

"It smelled, and I look back now and realize every time we'd visit someone with a dog, their dog would be sniffing all over my foot."

Of course Jack Russell's are not the only offenders in the toe-chewing department. Dachshunds, another dirt-dog, have gotten into the act as well. 

AN American woman has had her beloved pet dachshund put down after it chewed off her toe while she was asleep.

Linda Floyd said she discovered the toe missing after waking up from a nap, AP reports.

The 56-year-old did not feel any pain because of nerve damage from diabetes.

A vet said the dog may have been attracted to the toe because it had been bandaged due to an ingrown nail.

Is there a lesson to be learned here?  There is, and here it is:  If you have a wound that is not healing or if you are starting to feel numb in your extremeties, have your doctor check you for diabetes. If you are a diabetic, lose weight and stop drinking, take your insulin, get at least two decent blood glucose meters, and maybe get tropical fish instead of a Jack Russell terrier or Dachshund.

Count these as my helpful hints for the day.
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