Young Father dies from pet dog bite


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A YOUNG father died after a seemingly harmless nip on the hand by his dog.

Damian Holden, 35, spent three agonising months fighting for his life after suffering a rare reaction when he was bitten by his weimaraner, Eric.

The dog, a beloved pet, gave him the nip as he played while Mr Holden tried to put up a tent on a camping holiday in Wales with his pregnant wife, Nicola, and son, Sam, in June 2009.

Although the wound was cleaned, Mr Holden became increasingly feverish over the following days, an inquest was told.

He was rushed to Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Cheshire, where he fought a long battle for life, but died three months later after suffering multiple organ failure.

Consultant Dr Susan Gilbey told the inquest in Crewe that Mr Holden suffered a rare inflammatory reaction to a virus in the dog?s saliva.

She said: ?Four or five systems in his body were failing.

?When you get to that level of support, everything is a risk and the prospect of survival gets less and less.?

Tests revealed that Mr Holden, of Holmes Chapel, in Cheshire, died of sepsis and multiple organ failure caused by the dog bite.

Sepsis is a dangerous condition characterised by swelling in the body, the reaction by the immune system to an infection in the bloodstream. In July, Mr Holden?s feet had to be amputated due to blood clots.

It was only when he was rushed to Leighton Hospital that a connection was made with the dog bite.

Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg recorded a verdict of accidental death. He said: ?This was an unusual case.

?It is bizarre to look at the intention of a dog but I?m satisfied that the dog Eric did not have any malicious intent.?

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A virus in the dogs saliva? I'm not touching my dog without chain mail again!

I don't see the sarcasm tags in there so I really hope you are joking.

Dogs saliva contains all kinds of things, heck they lick their own nuts how clean do you think their mouth is going to be?

This however was a very rare reaction they guy seemed to have, most of the time its fine if dogs lick you or your face. Personally I try not to let dogs lick my face as I just plain don't like it.

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Dogs saliva contains all kinds of things, heck they lick their own nuts how clean do you think their mouth is going to be?

By and large, cleaner then ours, actually. Their saliva has natural enzymes which break down bacteria and other "bad things" much more effectively then our own saliva.

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i really think that the dog was biting something in the camping area and got some in the dog's saliva which the man is alleged to and got it into the man's bloodstream. or some'em like that.

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