Diabetics: Sleeping with pets can be dangerous

A case study in a podiatry journal highlights why diabetic patients with open wounds should take caution when sleeping with their pets. A U.S. woman with numbness in her feet and a slightly infected toe, both symptoms of diabetes, had part of the digit chewed off during the night by her dog.  Despite surgery, the wound did not heal and the woman eventually had to have her leg amputated. Up to 70 per cent of diabetics have neuropathy or nerve damage. Diabetics are also prone to suffering from blood flow, particularly to their extremities, making it more difficult for sores to heal. This is why foot care is so important for diabetics. The case highlights the need for diabetic patients with neuropathy to avoid having their feet or wounds exposed when sleeping with pets, the journal article stated.