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Mum Suspects Dog Urine Caused Toddler's Horrific Toe Infection After Beach Trip

Mum Suspects Dog Urine Caused Toddler's Horrific Toe Infection After Beach Trip

Her mum was worried that doctors might have to amputate it.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Amy-leigh Cavanagh took her daughter Aria McCart out to the beach in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was like any other outing and she thought everyone came home happy and healthy.

But when Amy, 26, gave her 18-month-old a bath, she realised something was wrong. She's told the Metro: "When I picked her up I could feel her body was on fire, even though she was just out of the bath, I could tell it wasn't right.

"Her lips had started going a bit blue and she was moaning and started crying. She was feverish and lethargic. I just thought she was coming down with a cold."

A few days later Aria developed a bit of a limp and her mum couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her daughter's big toe was swollen, red and oozing puss.

Toddler's infected toe
Toddler's infected toe

Credit: Mercury Press

Credit: Mercury Press

Amy took Aria to the doctor, who gave her antibiotics, and she was later told to draw a line around the toe to track whether the infection was spreading. Sure enough, the bacteria continued down the toe until it got so bad that medics were considering amputating it.

"They never said out loud, but we read between the lines and she could have lost her toe," says Amy.

"When we saw the main doctor he thought about the beach. He said anything could be in the sand. It could have been a bite, chemicals or even dog urine, that's got through a tiny cut."

Instead, the toddler was taken to University Hospital Crosshouse, where doctors peeled the skin off the toe, in order to prevent whatever was causing the infection from spreading further.

Toddler Aria
Toddler Aria

Credit: Mercury Press

The mum is now using the horrific incident as a warning to all parents about their kids walking around barefoot.

She added: "I felt it was my fault and I should have had shoes on them. We've been to the beach a hundred times, and as soon as we're there it's like, shoes off. And I've thought, they go on grass without shoes too.

"It's upsetting. It was horrible. I didn't know something like that could happen. If people are on beaches with dogs too, they probably don't realise as well what their dogs' urine could do."

Doctors had to prescribe different antibiotics due to concerns that the toddler could develop septicaemia. While Amy says Aria is doing much better, she still can't walk on the infected toe and refuses to wear a shoe on that foot.

The young mum says she'll ensure her two daughter's feet will be covered during their upcoming trip to Mallorca.

Featured Image Credit: Mercury Press