An American Staffordshire terrier puppy living in Melbourne, Australia,
was severely ill after licking up some anti-freeze. Stacey Zammit had
received Cleo for a Christmas present. She rushed the 10-week-old-puppy
to 
American Staffordshire Terrier (Photo by Lilly M/Creative Commons via Wikimedia)the veterinarian when the dog began swaying and refusing food. The
vet realized that Cleo was heading for kidney failure in a very short
time.
It was time for quick thinking and taking a chance to save Cleo's life. It was serendipity that the vet just happened to have a bottle vodka on hand. It had also been a Christmas present. Cleo was started on medicinal vodka immediately. The next time Zammit saw her dog Cleo was moving with a tipsy gait and had very bloodshot eyes. It is surprising that the dog was mobile at all considering that she was receiving vodka through a tube in her nose every few hours for just over two days. She consumed a bottle and half in that time.
The treatment is a rare one. The alcohol stopped a chemical reaction to ethylene glycol in the dog's body. Without treatment the chemical would cause renal failure and death for the animal. Just a teaspoon of ethelyne glycol can kill a full-grown cat. Cleo had to pay for her life-saving treatment the hardway -- with a monster hangover.
Last month in the U.S. anti-freeze manufacturers have agreed to voluntarily begin adding a bittering agent to their products to make them unappealing to pets, children, and wildlife nationwide. If your pet ingests anti-freeze or coolant, seek veterinary help immediately. Never give your animal alcohol yourself.
Sources: Mail Online, Humane Society Legislative Fund
