A father developed deadly sepsis and ended up in an induced coma after his family dog playfully jumped up to greet him and scratched his arm.
Just hours later, Barry Wallace was rushed to A&E after his feet and part of his nose and ears began turning black after he was cut.
The 48-year-old lost both his feet and will now have to have his legs amputated in the New Year.
Sepsis can be triggered by an infection in any part of the body and can lead to multiple organ failure and death.
Barry said he thought nothing of the incident in August 2015 after Staffordshire Bull Terrier Harley left a centimetre long scratch – similar to a paper cut – on his right arm after he came through the door at his mother Wendy's house.
He said: 'Harley had been Mum's dog for five years. He's really playful and was excited to see me, because I often took him for walks.
'He jumped up and scratched my arm with his teeth. It was just a tiny scratch, the size of your fingernail. It drew blood, but it was so small that I didn't give it another thought. He was excited to see me and it was just like a paper cut.'
His feet and part of his nose and ears were turning black, so he was taken to A&E and then onto the intensive care unit.
'Doctors had no idea what was wrong with him. It was in no way a savage dog bite, so no one even envisioned it could have caused it.'
By the next day, Barry had deteriorated and he was transferred to the intensive care unit at Nottingham City Hospital for specialist care because his kidneys had failed.
He was put in an induced coma, so his body had less work to do.
Man developed sepsis and will lose legs after dog scratch | Daily Mail Online
