‘Alcoholic’ Labrador ends up being very first dog dealt with for dependency: Vets scramble to save 2 animals hooked on alcohol excluded by dead owner – with one canine passing away
An ‘alcoholic’ Labrador became the first dog being treated for alcohol addiction after vets scrambled to save him and another dog hooked on booze that was left out by their dead owner.
A male puppy named Coco came to the Woodside Animal Welfare Trust suffering from canine alcohol withdrawal, which the animal shelter said was ‘a first’ for them.
The animal rescue in Plymouth, Devon, added that Coco, a two-year-old Labrador cross, has been with them for over a month, having required intensive care since arriving as part of his ‘tragic’ journey.
Coco arrived at the shelter with another dog after their owner passed away, but both quickly became unwell.
The other dog was repeatedly fitting and, soon after, Coco also started to fit.
A male puppy named Coco came to the Woodside Animal Welfare Trust suffering from Canine alcohol withdrawal, which the animal shelter said was ‘a first’ for them
A veterinarian who was on-site at the time tried their best to save both dogs, but the second dog passed away and Coco remained ‘seriously unwell’, the shelter wrote on Facebook.
The brown labrador then required around the clock care and his symptoms indicated that he was in alcohol withdrawal.
Staff at the rescue centre told the Telegraph that the dogs became dependent on alcohol when their owner left out drinks before he went to sleep.
The dog spent four weeks sedated at the shelter to help him with his withdrawal symptoms and to reduce the risk of further fits.
The treatment worked and the puppy will be ready for adoption soon: ‘We are so thankful that we are now out of danger and Coco is off all medication and is now starting to behave like a normal dog.
‘He is not yet ready for adoption and whilst physically he seems to have recovered, mentally he is still very anxious at times.’
The shelter added that the Dunroamin Special Care Unit, which means Coco could be cared for in a more homely environment and away from the main kennels,’certainly made a difference in his recovery and overall wellbeing’.
The shelter said without their care, ‘Coco would likely not have survived this heart-breaking ordeal’.
