Bulldog puppy 'saved owner's life' after chewing his toe to the bone while he slept

An adorable seven-month-old bulldog puppy has been credited with saving its owner's life after making a tasty snack out of his big toe.

If you've ever had a puppy, you'll know that you can't leave anything within its reach unless you're willing to have it be chewed.

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Furniture, shoes - you name it, the pup will probably sink its teeth in to it, and bulldog Harley's chew toy of choice was none other than his actual owner, David Lindsay.

The pup decided to go to town on his owner's foot while he was asleep on the sofa, and it wasn't until David's wife came home that Harley finally stopped.

"I was asleep on the couch when my wife walked in and shouted, 'Dave, the puppy's chewing your toe!'" David recalled.

"My puppy had near enough chewed my big toe off! It chewed down to the bone and cracked it."

Now I'm sure you're wondering, how on Earth did David not wake up? Toes are definitely not made to be chewed to pieces, but that's exactly how the puppy ended up inadvertently saving David's life.

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"But because of all this, I discovered that my foot is completely numb, I can't feel anything," David said.

The dad-of-five, from Cambridge, rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital after waking up to find his toe in bits, and was put on intravenous antibiotics to stop an infection caused by the dog bite from spreading to his bone.

While there, doctors also conducted CT scans for his fractured toe and discovered that David had not one, but two blocked arteries.

His entire leg could have been in danger of needing amputation if the blood supply wasn't returned, so, thanks to Harley, he's now being assessed for stents which would open up the arteries and allow the blood flow to return to his leg.

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Recognising that Harley had 'done [him] a favour' by chewing his toe, David has no plans to get rid of the young pooch.

"I'm waiting to find out if they can put stents in. I'll be keeping the dog," he said.

"I'll try to keep my toe too, but if not I told the doctor to cut it off and I can take it home for him!"

David has been in hospital for more than a week since Harley first decided to nibble on his toe, but he's hopeful he'll be able to go home to his wife and the cheeky bulldog by the end of the week.

Though Harley is probably be best sticking to actual dog toys in future, it's clear he's one good boy.