The key facts

  • Without any special training, the dog stayed by the child's side, whimpered and barked, prompting the mother to seek hospital care
  • The baby's heart was beating at 280 beats per minute; the rhythm was slowed only after three doses of an intravenous drug
  • The diagnosis was Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome; later the dog grew anxious again, and the child was found to have tonsillitis

The dog that wouldn't leave the baby's side

In the United Kingdom, a family dog helped detect a dangerous heart condition in a six-month-old child — Gazeta.Ru reports, citing the New York Post. The boy's mother, Kim Reynolds, noticed that the Doberman constantly stayed close to her son Alexander, whimpered and began barking every time the child was carried into another room. The dog had never behaved this way before, and the woman found such behavior strange.

280 beats per minute

Soon the boy began crying constantly and looked unwell, and Kim took him to the hospital. Examination showed that the child's heart was beating at a rate of 280 beats per minute. Doctors first tried to restore a normal rhythm using cold water, but without success — the heartbeat was only slowed after three doses of an intravenous drug. Alexander was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a condition in which extra electrical pathways in the heart can cause episodes of rapid heartbeat. The boy now takes medication daily.

The second case and what remains unclear

The story had a continuation: recently the Doberman again began acting anxious near the child, the mother once again took her son to the doctors, and this time the baby was found to have bacterial tonsillitis. Kim is convinced that the dog senses changes in her son's condition before she does; although the animal has had no special training, the woman considers him a true savior and tries to keep him near the child. At the same time, the publication does not explain exactly how the dog picks up changes in the child's condition — this remains merely a family observation, not a confirmed medical fact. Gazeta.Ru also mentions a previous case: earlier, a dog woke its deaf owner in the middle of the night and helped save her husband.