A friend emailed me this story - crazy what dogs can do!<br />
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"Most dog owners are satisfied if their dog follows basic commands.<br />
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It’s all gravy when your dog also saves your life during a heart attack.<br />
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That’s what happened to Mequon resident Mark Hanrahan, who will be the featured speaker at the Washington County Heart Walk, the American Heart Association’s premier fund raising event on Saturday at the Washington County Fair Park.<br />
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"When I had my last heart attack I was sleeping," said Hanrahan.<br />
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His dog, a golden retriever named Murphy O’Dawg, sensed something was wrong. "He usually sleeps on the floor next to my bed," said Hanrahan. "That night, he kept hitting me with his nose until I woke up."<br />
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As it turns out, Hanrahan was in the throes of a massive heart attack. Nobody knows exactly what tipped Murphy off that something was wrong, but Hanrahan said his cardiologist suggested that some dogs are sensitive to electrolyte abnormalities, also known as hyponatremia, which occurs during a heart attack.<br />
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Hanrahan doesn’t find the explanation far-fetched. "There are dogs that can sense an epileptic fit before it starts and smell cancers," he said.<br />
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Once awake, Hanrahan said he knew immediately what was happening. His wife entered the room and "saw that I was gray in color. The EMTs took me to St. Mary’s in Ozaukee. They stabilized me there and then took me by ambulance to Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee."<br />
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Hanrahan was told he had to have bypass surgery otherwise he would die. He was only 54. Hanrahan underwent the surgery and says that he is still recovering. "I can’t turn a wrench like I used to." He has also radically changed his lifestyle. "I eat low-fat foods. I quit smoking."<br />
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But Hanrahan’s 2001 heart attack wasn’t his first. He suffered his first heart attack in 1987 while flying an airplane. "The first time I didn’t know it was a heat attack," he said. "I felt nauseous, had pain across my back, pain in my chest, felt weak. There was pain along my arteries." Luckily he was able to safely land in Janesville and was hospitalized.<br />
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Murphy is also playing a huge role in Hanrahan’s recovery. "Murphy takes me exercising every morning. We walk between 2 and 4 miles, depending on the weather. He keeps an eye on me.<br />
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Murphy was also awarded the title of Cardiac Rehabilitation Assistance Dog by the Americans with Disabilities Act.<br />
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Asked if the heart attack changed his view on religion and faith, Hanrahan replied: "The guy upstairs knows when my time is up. All I can do is just do the best with what I’ve got."