Some people say that dogs have an additional sense that helps them to pick up things that humans wouldn’t catch. Dog owners will agree that dogs always seem to know when something’s not right, even if it’s not initially obvious to anyone else.

One dog mom who knows about a dog’s incredible perceptive skills more than anyone else is Alhanna Butler. Alhanna lives with her husband, Ricky, and her dog, Keola, in England. Keola, an American Akita, has been raised by her humans since she was a pup. With her family’s love and support, Keola grew up to be an incredibly loyal dog.

Loyalty is typical of the American Akita breed in general. The dogs are also known for being alert, and can sense danger with accuracy, making them good guard dogs. They’re cousins to the Japanese Akita, which were used historically as hunting dogs, thanks to their sharp senses and high level of attentiveness.

Keola is no different from her peers. She’s smart and suspicious – which is how she managed to save Alhanna’s life.

Alhanna fell pregnant, and she and her family were incredibly excited for the baby’s arrival. But Keola sensed that something wasn’t quite right. Alhanna was yet to realize this herself.

As a soon-to-be new mom, Alhanna was doing everything by the book for her pregnancy. She took her vitamins, ate right, and exercised safely. But her health was declining. Alhanna thought it was all just a normal part of her pregnancy, but she still sought help at her doctor’s for increased back pain.

Alhanna’s doctor wasn’t too concerned. He told her that her back pain was probably due to a hormone that becomes active in pregnancy, and loosens ligaments, often leading to soreness.

Still, Alhanna’s pain began to worsen. And Keola, her clever little American Akita, began to display some odd behavior.

Keola had taken to staring at Alhanna intensely, in a way that was actually a little scary to Alhanna. She posted a photo of her staring pup to Facebook, thinking her friends would find it funny – but many people thought otherwise.

Someone suggested that Keola might be trying to tell Alhanna something.

Alhanna mulled over whether she should get things checked out at the doctor’s again, just in case. Her decision was made when Keola went from staring at her to howling and whimpering.

When Alhanna arrived at the doctor’s, several tests uncovered a medical emergency: Alhanna had a rare double kidney infection, and was close to death.

Alhanna was rushed to the emergency room, where doctors worked tirelessly to save the life of her and her unborn baby. If Alhanna had left it just a day later, she could have died. But, thanks to Keola, Alhanna pulled through.

She gave birth to her baby son, named Lincoln, on her expected due date. We’d imagine that Keola was showered with treats and attention for relentlessly warning her owner that something was seriously wrong.

Keola and Lincoln are now BFFs – and Keola must feel mighty proud for helping to save the little boy’s life just before it was too late.

Have you ever had a pet that alerted you to a major problem? Let us know your own experience in the comments below!

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Source: Animal Channel, Eternal Lifestyle, Dog Breed Expert, Akita Association