2 Min read

Toxin Tail, Red the St. Bernard mix

Pet Poison Helpline

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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.

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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.

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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