Family's Doberman wouldn't stop crying — then doctors found baby's heart racing at 280 bpm

On a morning that looked ordinary, Kim Reynolds couldn't figure out why her Doberman, Saraya, was acting so strangely. The dog refused to leave six-month-old Alexander's side, cried every time he was carried away from her, and kept pressing close in a way Reynolds had never seen before. Then the baby became upset and looked unwell — and Reynolds drove him to Royal Bournemouth Hospital's emergency department.

What doctors found there was serious: Alexander's heart was beating at 280 beats per minute, a dangerously fast rhythm. Two days and two hospitals later, he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome — a condition caused by an extra piece of tissue in the heart that allows electrical pulses to travel where they shouldn't, triggering episodes in which the heart cannot slow itself down. Untreated, sustained episodes can be deadly.

Saraya knew his heart rate was higher than it should've been. She sensed it. I had no idea. I dread to think what would have happened if I just put him in the cot and walked away.— Kim Reynolds, Alexander's mother

Reynolds, 41, a former canine hydrotherapist and first-time mother from Shepton Mallet, Somerset, said she initially worried she was wasting doctors' time — Alexander had stopped crying by the time they reached the emergency department. But the heart monitor told a different story.

Bringing Alexander's heart rate down was not straightforward. According to the Mirror, doctors first tried submerging him in a large bucket of cold water and ice — a technique used to shock the heart rhythm back to normal. They did it twice, holding his head under for ten seconds each time. It didn't work. Reynolds said the scream was the sound she now can't get out of her head. She told staff she wanted them to stop and try medication instead. Three doses of intravenous medication finally brought his heart rate down. The family was then transferred by ambulance to Poole Hospital, where Alexander was formally diagnosed after a two-night stay.

Saraya's behaviour was like a noise playing in my mind. It was bugging me that she was trying to tell me something wasn't right. It certainly added to my concern and made us go in to get checked.— Kim Reynolds, Alexander's mother

Now nine months old, Alexander takes the beta blocker propranolol orally three times a day. Reynolds says he has adapted so well that he drinks from the syringe himself, without fuss.

Saraya's apparent sensitivity has not been a one-time event. This month, the dog began behaving differently around Alexander again — sitting beside him in his bouncer, licking his hands, and looking at Reynolds. Reynolds checked his pulse, noticed his throat looked red, and took him to the emergency department. He was diagnosed with bacterial tonsillitis and prescribed penicillin.

My first thought was 'oh god, are we going to go into SVT again?'— Kim Reynolds, Alexander's mother

I 100 per cent trust Saraya. She's not a trained or registered assistance dog. But to me, every opportunity I have she will be by his side.— Kim Reynolds, Alexander's mother

Reynolds says the syndrome was never picked up at birth or at any previous hospital visit, and that a health professional she visited weeks after the diagnosis had no idea what SVT was. That gap in awareness is now something she wants to close. Reynolds's sister Francine introduced her to Tiny Tickers, a small UK charity focused on the early detection and care of serious heart conditions in babies. Reynolds and her sister are taking part in a 100-mile challenge in October to raise money for the charity.

I'm a first time mum and it's been a whole experience. It's really important to raise awareness. You wonder how many babies have SVT and don't realise.— Kim Reynolds, Alexander's mother

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is manageable with treatment. Reynolds described it as 'an extra bit of tissue in his heart, which basically means electrical pulses can get through where they shouldn't' — and said doctors told her SVT itself is not dangerous, but that sustained SVT is.

Why it matters — The case highlights how rarely Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is detected in infants before a crisis, and how little awareness of SVT exists even among some health professionals — a gap the family is now working to close.

Sources differ on Alexander's age at the time of the emergency: Six months old (goodnewsnetwork.org) vs Seven months old (visit described as occurring in September) (mirror.co.uk)

Reported by goodnewsnetwork.org, mirror.co.uk, cashwalklabs.io