A 51-year-old man in the UK was left fighting for his life and caught a deadly skin infection with red tennis-ball-sized blisters after his pet dog licked him.
David Money, a former soldier, had to be admitted in a coma for six weeks while doctors fought the bacterial infection that caused his skin to form blisters.
He was in hospital for five months but suffered double kidney failure and now needs dialysis every other day, the Daily Mirror reported.
The former paratrooper's brush with death was caused by capnocytophaga, a bacteria found in dog's mouths and saliva.
The dog lover - who has seven pet whippets - regularly attends racing events and experts think he caught it from one licking a small scratch on his skin.
But he insists the ordeal has not diminished his love for dogs and has refused to get rid of the whippets he shares with partner Julie Crosby, 44.
"I'm disabled. I can barely walk, I've lost my job and I nearly died. My life has been completely turned upside down and to think it is from a bacteria from a dog - maybe one of my dogs - is mind blowing thing," Money said.
"The pain I went through was indescribable. To actually sweat with pain is absolutely horrendous. We are far more aware of the dogs now but I would never get rid of my dogs. I can't believe what has happened to me, but I cherish them," he added.
David started to experience flu-like symptoms in April and was about to settle down to sleep when he felt extreme pain in his legs.
He was taken to hospital when he started to feel a piercing and burning sensation on his skin, and dark marks appeared on his face.
Medics diagnosed an infection and his condition rapidly deteriorated, until he was screaming out in pain and his skin started to "bubble" as the infection spread.
Huge blisters formed all over his body - including his hands which saw his fingers tripled in size and put in plastic bags to control infection.
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