Family Doberman wouldn’t stop crying around a 6-month-old baby. Then doctors found his heart racing at 280 bpm
'My first thought was, 'Oh God, are we going to go into SVT again?' Reynolds said.
Pets can be superheroes too, given their incredible instincts. In September 2026, 41-year-old Kim Reynolds, a former canine hydrotherapist and first-time mom, was confused when Saraya, their family Doberman, whined every time they took 6-month-old Alexander away from her. She couldn't understand why her dog was unusually clingy to Alexander. But a few minutes later, Reynolds noticed her son looked sick and took him to Royal Bournemouth Hospital, OK! Magazine UK reported. When the doctors checked him, they couldn't believe how fast his heart was beating. Saraya saved his life. The story was also reported by We Rate Dogs on Facebook. It was posted on November 3, 2026, and it had over 53,100 likes, 790 comments, and more than 1,000 reshares.
Ice bucket dunk
Doctors found he was in supraventricular tachycardia, with his heart beating at 280 bpm, and they knew they had to act fast. Doctors tried to trigger the diving reflex by briefly immersing his face in ice-cold water. Alexander screamed his head off. "They did it twice, and his heart rate still hadn't come down," Kim Reynolds said. After doing it for 10 more seconds, she couldn't bear it anymore and asked doctors to try intravenous medication instead. Three doses later, his heart rate went back to normal. Reynolds told the news outlet, "Saraya knew his heart rate was higher than it should've been. I had no idea. She sensed it. I dread to think what would have happened if I just put him in the cot and walked away."
Reynolds and Alexander were then sent to Poole Hospital, and two days later, Alexander was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Doctors assured Reynolds that "SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) isn't dangerous, but sustained SVT is." Reynolds said that her dog's behavior bothered her. "Saraya's behavior was like a noise playing in my mind. It was bugging me that she was trying to tell me something wasn't right." She also explained Alexander's condition. He has "an extra bit of tissue in his heart, which basically means electrical pulses can get through where they shouldn't. That's when he can't calm his heart rate."
SVT again?
Now, Alexander, at 9 months old, needed three doses of beta blockers every day. But in October 2026, Saraya did her thing once again. She was acting differently around Alexander. Reynolds described the incident: "He was in his bouncer, and she was next to him, licking his hands, looking at me. My first thought was, 'Oh God, are we going to go into SVT again?'" But when she checked his pulse, she noticed his throat was red. She took him to the hospital, and the doctors diagnosed him with bacterial tonsillitis and prescribed him penicillin. After the second incident, Reynolds knew that she could trust Saraya.
Protective pup
Pets, especially dogs, have a way of sensing medical issues before their humans are even aware of them. An April 14, 2021, published study of 61 medical alert dog owners found that 84% said their dogs alerted to multiple health conditions, while 54% said their dogs alerted to multiple people. Just over half of the dogs had been formally trained for medical alert, while 48% had begun alerting without prior medical alert training. Reynolds revealed, "She's [Saraya] not a trained or registered assistance dog. But to me, every opportunity I have, she will be by his side."
Definitely a medical support dog
Netizens praised Saraya for being a "good girl." Betsy Yopp commented, "Saraya needs to be trained to watch for heart difficulties for her little girl. Definitely a medical support dog." Christy Ambler shared, "My dog alerted me to a spot near my ankle by repeatedly pressing her nose to my leg and taking a long sniff. She did this daily and sometimes multiple times a day. It prompted me to go to the doctor, and I found out I had stage 0 melanoma. Asia, a beagle, was a very good girl!"
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