In a rare and harrowing medical case that highlights the lurking dangers of severe infections, 52-year-old Manjit Sangha from the United Kingdom survived a life-threatening bout of sepsis that claimed all four of her limbs and saw her endure numerous cardiac arrests, all believed to stem from a seemingly innocuous lick from her pet dog. 

What began as an ordinary weekend in July 2025 quickly spiralled into a medical nightmare for Sangha, a devoted dog owner and pharmacy worker.

After returning home from work feeling slightly unwell, she complained of fatigue, only to be found unconscious the next morning by her husband, Kamaljit Sangha.

Her lips were purplish, her hands and feet ice-cold, and she was struggling to breathe, prompting an urgent hospitalisation.

Doctors soon diagnosed her with sepsis, a dangerous systemic reaction to infection where the body’s immune response spirals out of control, damaging its own tissues and organs.

In Sangha’s case, clinicians suspect that bacteria from her dog’s saliva, possibly Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a microbe commonly found in canine mouths, entered her bloodstream through a small cut or scratch, triggering a cascading immune response within hours.

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The progression of the infection was both rapid and devastating. Within 24 hours of first feeling ill, Sangha had slipped into a coma, and her condition deteriorated sharply in the intensive care unit. Her heart stopped six times, forcing rounds of resuscitation as doctors fought to keep her alive. Complications mounted as her body battled overwhelming inflammation and clotting.

To save her life, surgeons were forced to amputate both her hands and both legs below the knee as the infection ravaged her extremities.

In addition to limb loss, Sangha’s spleen was removed due to the spread of infection, and she also confronted complications, including pneumonia and gallstones, during her 32-week hospital stay.

Sepsis, often referred to as “blood poisoning,” remains one of the leading causes of death from infection worldwide. It arises when the body’s response to pathogens becomes unbalanced; instead of merely targeting the invading organisms, the immune system begins injuring its own tissues and organs. If left unchecked, sepsis can lead to septic shock, organ failure, and death.

Symptoms may start subtly, including fever or chills, rapid heartbeat, discoloured rash, confusion, shortness of breath, and reduced urination.

In severe cases, blood pressure can plummet, oxygen delivery to vital organs falters, and the risk of fatal complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and kidney injury increases.

Sangha’s ordeal serves as a stark reminder that even routine activities with household pets can pose health risks when bacteria exploit weak spots, such as cuts or breaks in the skin.

While such extreme outcomes are exceedingly rare, doctors and health experts stress the importance of prompt wound care, vigilance for infection signs, and early medical intervention if symptoms escalate.

Back at home now and facing the challenges of rehabilitation, Sangha and her family have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her recovery, including access to advanced prosthetics and therapy. Determined to regain independence, Sangha has expressed her intent to walk again and return to work one day.

Her message to others is clear: what may seem like a harmless moment, a dog’s affectionate lick, can, in rare circumstances, trigger an aggressive infection that carries potentially devastating consequences. Awareness and early action, she and her medical team say, can save lives.