(USA TODAY) -- Greg Manteufel has loved dogs all his life, but a dog's kiss nearly killed him in June. Because of an infection caused by contact with dog saliva, Manteufel's legs and hands were amputated and more than a month later, he's still hospitalized awaiting more surgeries.
It started with flu-like symptoms. Manteufel's wife Dawn said when she came home from working third shift June 26, her husband told her he'd been throwing up and his legs ached. She recommended water and Tylenol.
A day later, Manteufel's 25-year-old son heard his father stirring early in the morning, speaking gibberish. He could barely walk and had diarrhea. As Manteufel, 48, attempted to reassure his son, the only person home at the time, his son called family members. Manteufel was taken to a hospital by his near their West Bend, Wisconsin, home.
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