UK woman loses all four limbs to sepsis after dog’s ‘innocent’ lick turns deadly

Manjit Sangha spent 32 weeks in hospital, during which she suffered multiple cardiac arrests. Despite doctors fearing she might not survive the severe complications, she fought through the health crisis and returned home last week, bringing immense relief and joy to her family.

Medical experts suspect that the infection leading to sepsis may have started from something as seemingly harmless as a dog’s lick on a minor wound, the BBC reported.

Sangha is now urging people not to take sepsis lightly.

“Losing your limbs and your hands in a short time period is a very big thing,” she told the BBC. “It’s very serious and not to be taken lightly.”

In 2025, Sangha, who had led a very active life, returned home one day feeling unwell. By the next morning, she was unconscious. Her hands and feet had turned ice-cold, her lips purple, and she was struggling to breathe.

“Your mind is all over the place,” her husband, Kam Sangha, told the BBC. “You’re thinking, ‘How can this happen in less than 24 hours?’ One minute on a Saturday she’s playing with the dog, Sunday she’s gone to work, Monday night she’s in a coma.”

She was rushed to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, where her heart reportedly stopped six times while she was being treated in the intensive care unit. During the crisis, she also lost her spleen.

As per the UK Sepsis Trust website, Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs, with the immune system going into overdrive.

According to the Cleveland Clinic website, Sepsis can affect many different areas of your body. So, there are many possible symptoms. If a bloodstream infection (bacteremia) triggered the condition, you may develop a sepsis rash. The rash makes your skin appear red or discolored. You may see small, dark-red spots on your skin.

Other common signs of sepsis include:

Peeing less, or having strong urges to pee

Low energy and weakness

Fast heart rate

Low blood pressure

Fever or very low body temperature

Shaking or chills

Warm or clammy/sweaty skin

Confusion

Rapid breathing or shortness of breath

Extreme pain or discomfort

What causes sepsis?

As per the Cleveland Clinic webiste, Bacterial infections are the most common cause of sepsis. Fungal, parasitic and viral infections are also potential sepsis causes. You can get sepsis when an infection triggers a chain reaction throughout your body that causes organ dysfunction.

The infection leading to sepsis can start in many different parts of your body. Common sites and types of infections that can lead to sepsis include:

Respiratory system: Infections involving your lungs, like pneumonia

Urinary tract system: Infections of your bladder or kidneys, especially if you have a catheter

Gastrointestinal system: Infections of your appendix (appendicitis), abdominal cavity (peritonitis), gallbladder or liver

Central nervous system: Infections of your brain or spinal cord

Skin: Infections involving your skin or your skin’s connective tissue, like cellulitis