Baldivis mother dies from rare bacterial infection caused by dog bite

A Baldivis mother has tragically passed away in hospital after contracting a rare bacterial infection caused by a dog bite.

Tracy Ridout, 53, was looking after a friend's German Shepard when it accidently nipped her on the finger instead of a toy they were playing with.

After a week of continuous pain she drove herself to Rockingham Hospital on August 18 where doctors told her she had contracted Capnocytophaga canimorsus and the infection had spread to her kidneys, liver and blood. 

Ms Ridout was then transferred to Fiona Stanley Hospital where she rapidly deteriorated and was placed in an induced coma.

Seven days later, doctors told the family there was nothing else they could do and they will "make her comfortable" until they are ready to "let her go". 

On August 29, her daughter Sophie confirmed her mother had sadly passed away.

"She will be missed by all her friends and family," she wrote on the GoFundMe page she had created to help cover her mother's funeral costs and medical bills.

Doctors say while the infection is extremely rare, they still urge anyone who receives a dog or cat bite to get it looked at as soon as possible.