Hey, why aren’t dogs alcoholics?

2 Min read

Toxin Tail, Red the St. Bernard mix

Pet Poison Helpline

AVAILABLE ON PODCAST

SPOTIFY

iTunes

*

*

True Tale

Toxin Tails (from the Pet Poison HelpLine) reported a case of the Partying Pooch, Red.

He’s a 85-90 pound golden retriever St. Bernard mix.

Red ingested 15 Jell-O Shots that his owners had left in a bag in the kitchen.

The dog was staggering up the stairs, walking into walls.

The owners rushed him to the pet hospital where they gave him an IV and anti-nausea meds.

After an hour, the Vet came out and said Red had consumed three times the lethal amount.

Luckily, the dog would be OK.

*

Turns out, dogs aren’t alcoholics.

So they don’t have support groups.

Because we treat dogs better.

For one, alcohol is not good for them.

And two, it’s expensive.

*

FOOTNOTES

*Pet Poison Helpline: 855 764-7661, 24/7 hotline

*Owner of dog who ate 15 Jell-O shots on New Year’s Eve has this advice (Today.com December 12, 2022) Advice: Minnesota couple resolved to keep alcohol away from their dog.

*My Pet World: Can our pets become alcoholics? (LA Times, January 4, 2011)

*The Risk of Too Much (or Any) Alcohol, (American Legion, January 2023) Recent article on humans. “But new research is suggesting that no amount of alcohol consumption is safe for overall physical health. These findings are especially troubling for military and veteran communities, which have a significantly higher representation than their civilian counterparts. Many gravitate toward alcohol as a way to deal with stress, boredom and loneliness. Even more problematic is its ritualization within military and veterans communities.”

*Alcohol use and abuse is a topical issue for discussion in my family with three children in the Army and two who have reached the legal drinking age. In my experience, the Army culture tends to glorify drinking and the work hard/play hard mentality is alive and well as it was back in the nineties when I was in uniform. DUIs and drinking were real issues, especially as an officer, and could end a career. Alcoholism is the only drug people feel pressured to use.

*There are four types of drinkers –which one are you? These are: (1) Social Drinking (2) Drinking to conform (3) Drinking for enhancement (4) Drinking to cope. Knowing what motivates people to drink is important when it comes to encouraging them to drink less, or in a less harmful way, argue La Trobe researchers Emmanuel Kuntsche and Sarah Callinan.

*Economic Burden in the United States. In 2010, alcohol misuse cost the United States $249.0 billion. Three-quarters of the total cost of alcohol misuse is related to binge drinking. Souce: National Institute on Alcohol Use and Alcoholism

Mar 11, 2023

2 Comments

  1. Marion Seaton

    Alcohol is a beguiling mistress. She is dressed in finery and beckons the suitor. Come with me and enjoy what can be, she says. Do not worry that I cannot love you, just enjoy me while you can.

    Reply
    • mylinhshattan

      An apt metaphor. Thank you for writing here and if it’s OK, I will share on my Instagram post…. do not worry that I cannot love you.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Mylinh Shattan is a writer who has lived on three continents, served in the Army, worked in corporate America, and taught in college. She loves adventures, in the world and in the mind. Literature is relevant and learning is a lifelong pursuit, so you might as well have a bit of fun along the way.

Stay Up to Date

Rise above the tedium with the TreeHouseLetter. Always learning with a bit of fun.

Latest Posts

A Day With the Night Stalkers

8 Min read 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) The Soldier and the Citizen Nashville Ides of March AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY iTunes * On a lonesome stretch of road north of Nashville, we turned onto a farmer's path. Strains of Johnny Cash and the...

The Edgeless Sound and the Night Owl

2 Min read Poetry for Emergencies Leonard Cohen Roshi's Poem The Poe Arch - Edgar Allan Poe Memorial Gateway AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY iTunes * TreeHouse view of dawn * The book falls open to Roshi's Poem. Though I had already read it, in my hurry up the stairs I...

Belief Is a Powerful Elixir

4 Min read 1 Essay collection, Maya Angelou Music as a gift AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY iTunes * Believe in me and I can do anything. It's a powerful thing, belief. If a person believes in you, you can move mountains. As a child when I asked why I had bent fingers,...

Prescription for Life and Rumi’s Cow

2 Min read 1 Memoir, Short Take Poetry for Emergencies Rumi, Mystic Poet * AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY iTunes Dx, Rx. You may recognize these as abbreviations for Diagnosis (Dx) and Prescription (Rx). Melody Moezzi writes how the poet and mystic helped her deal with...

Two Things Everybody’s Got to Do

2 min read What is love? Music in Prose Receiving a book you already own Black History Month 1 novel, Zora Neale Hurston AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY iTunes * This winter I received five new copies of books I own, four as gifts. When I've read a book, I have a...

ChatGPT on the Meaning of Life, Love, War

3 Min Read Prompts on life's mysteries Artificial Intelligence generates short answer, sonnet, couplet, haiku, blog post Writer's Toolbox OpenAI and ChatGPT * Three times a charm. I finally got onto the site in the witching hours; maybe a 3:30 AM login helps. If you...

“Good Luck and Smooth Sailing” in the Year of the Cat

3 min read Lunar New Year Vietnamese Zodiac, Cat vs Rabbit Year 2023 Writing tip, lyrics, backstory on Al Stewart's hit song * AVAILABLE ON PODCAST on SPOTIFY iTunes * Chúc mừng năm mới 2023!! Happy Lunar New Year! * It's the Year of the Water Cat according to...

Topics

Inoculate yourself against the absurdity of life with a dose of the best ideas and writing. Always learning with a bit of fun.