You often hear the saying that a dog is a man's best friend, and very few people would disagree.

Our canine companions are always there for us in our time of need, and while their affectionate behavior comes from the goodness of their heart, those sweet kisses can have deadly consequences.

One 48-year-old man from West Bend, Wisconsin is now facing the ramifications of being licked by his pet dog, and is set to have all four of his limbs removed.

For his entire life, Greg Manteufel had a history of good health, but was brought to the emergency room in June after believing he had the flu.

"It hit him with a vengeance," his wife Dawn Manteufel told Fox 6 Now. "Just bruising all over him. Looked like somebody beat him up with a baseball bat."

However, blood tests showed Greg had contracted capnocytophaga, which can be found in dog saliva. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) symptoms include blisters, redness, swelling, fever, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, headaches, and muscle or joint pain.

They typically emerge three to five days after contracting the bacteria, and if untreated, it could lead to sepsis, a potentially fatal infection.

Greg's circulation in his limbs began to decline, and along with his low blood pressure, his body parts began to turn to black.

"This infection in his blood triggered a very severe response on his body," Dr. Silvia Munoz-Price, an infectious disease specialist, said about Manteufel's case. "More than 99% of the people that have dogs will never have this issue. It's just chance."

Within a week, both of Greg's legs were amputated and he was later told portions of his hands, and then half of both forearms would also have to be removed. Doctors also informed the father he would need further surgery to have his nose reconstructed.

But despite the tragedy, Dawn said her husband is just glad to be alive, and "is taking all the news like a beast."

"We can't wrap our heads around it that all of the sudden, he's 48-years-old and been around dogs all of his life, and then this happens," Dawn explained. "He kept saying to the doctors 'take what you need but keep me alive.'"

"And they did it. Surprisingly enough, they did do it."

Sadly, the Manteufel family is now facing expensive medical bills relating to Greg's future operations and his long road to recovery. If you wish to give a donation, check out their GoFundMe page.

[H/T: Fox 6 Now]