A pit bull saved a four-year-old boy just days after the dog was rescued from certain death. TaterTot detected a dangerous drop in the boy’s blood sugar and alerted his mother to the life-threatening situation.
Christie Smith took the pit bull from Minneapolis Animal Care and Control just hours before he was supposed to be put down. Her initial intention was to foster the canine until a permanent family could be found for him.
After the canine’s unexpected rescue, Smith announced he’s in her family for good, reports My Fox 9 . The mom already knew her son, Peyton, and the 10-month-old pup had a special bond while she watched them playing.
But it wasn’t until a few days later that the pooch proved how special the bond was. TaterTot sensed something was wrong with the boy and began licking and jumping on him when he wouldn’t wake up. Smith recalled:
“He kept whining and barking and running between the two of us. I checked on [Peyton], and he was barely breathing.”
She rushed her son to the emergency room , where Fox News notes that doctors discovered his dangerously low blood sugar. Thanks to the pit bull’s insistence, Smith says her son is okay. Doctors still aren’t sure what caused the blood sugar drop, and Smith isn’t sure how TaterTot knew her son was in trouble.
Isis Sanchez, of Blue Pearl Veterinary Clinic, had a couple possible explanations. She stated, “If [Peyton’s] blood sugar was that low, he may have been producing ketones.” Dogs are able to smell them, and the change in scent could have alerted the pit bull. She added, “What, for us, is barely a whiff of something gives them a huge picture of what’s going on.”
Aside from their keen smell, Sanchez added that dogs may have a “sixth sense” that can detect changes in electrical activity. The theory explains how some dogs can warn people with epilepsy of an impending seizure. Whatever the reason, Smith is glad she rescued the pit bull from being euthanized.
[Image via ShutterStock ]
