A mom from Ohio went through the tragedy of losing her limbs after she let her pet dog lick her.
It's quite common for dog owners to be greeted by lots of kisses in the form of many licks whenever they walk through the door.
But for Marie Trainer, such event had life-changing consequences.
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Marie had just returned from a dream tropical vacation in spring 2019 when she received a warm welcome from her beloved pooch.
After an initial encounter with her dog, Marie didn't think twice about a small cut on her hand.
However, her health took a turn for the worse in the days that followed.
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Marie's husband, Matt Trainer, noticed that her health quickly deteriorate so urged her to get checked out at a local hospital.
"I wasn’t feeling well and just got sicker and sicker," Marie explained.
It was a good job Marie sought medical attention as her health continued to decline.
She fell into a coma after going into hospital, with subsequent tests concluding Marie had contracted a rare infection from bacteria called capnocytophaga canimorsus.
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Medics believe the bacteria entered Marie's immune system after her dog licked the open wound on her hand.
That is because the bacteria is commonly found in the salvia of both cats and dogs.
While it's extremely rare, capnocytophaga bacteria can cause serious issues such as sepsis, heart attacks, kidney failure, severe blood clots and gangrene.
Thankfully, Marie did survive the terrible ordeal, but she did lose both of her legs and arms after they had been amputated.
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Dr Ajay Seth, who treated Marie, told Fox News: "It was just rapidly progressing where her hands and feet were turning black."
Despite being advised to amputate all four limbs at the torso, Dr Seth was determined to save as much as possible.
Marie ultimately had both of her legs amputated up to her knees while doctors were also able to save large parts of her arms.
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While it was a better outcome than first feared, it doesn't mean that life hasn't been difficult for the Ohio mom since.
"It’s been challenging," she admitted. "Learning how to walk was the hardest thing, but I’m good, I’m doing good."
Marie has since been fitted with myoelectric prosthetics, allowing her to enjoy activities such as gardening again.
"We see the light at the end of the tunnel, we just adjust what we have to do, it just takes more planning when we want to do something," husband Matt said.
Callum Jones