Drunk Doggies, Crocked Cats, and Plastered Parrots

Your puppy is  an alcoholic! Every time you break out the spirits your pet wants a drink. What's the harm in it? Everyone likes to cut loose every once in a while, and who better to have a beer with than your best friend? Well you better cut off Fido before the first one.

  by  AMagill 

Alcohol when used in moderation can be a pleasant experience for humans. But that "buzz" we chase after to forget our woes, is actually the result of your body being poisoned. In smaller animals this can lead to some unpleasant results. There's no need to panic if your pet ingested a small amount of a forgotten beer. Alcohol is a naturally occurring substance, and many wild animals actually ingest it from time to time in fermented fruit. But don't ever intentionally give your animal a drink from your glass.

Dogs are probably the best equipped to handle a little alcohol, but the effects are greatly magnified, both psychologically and physically. For us, a little disorientation in a crowded dance club can be empowering, but we bring that feeling on ourselves, and know what to expect. From your dog's perspective it could be quite scary. Dogs can become easily confused and the result would be aggression. Their sudden loss of balance would be absolutely terrifying, and I'm sure they would feel as if they are fighting for their life. The physical effects of alcohol on a dog are much worse than a human. As little as a beer or two could lead to severe alcohol poisoning and even death, in even a large dog. Like in humans, alcohol is weight dependent, and in a smaller dog, maybe even a few sips could be very dangerous. We have adapted over thousands of years to be able to process alcohol, dogs have not, and with their increased metabolism, things can go from bad to worse very quickly.

Cats are no different then dogs when it comes to the devil water, with one exception, its worse! Cats are usually much smaller then dogs and as true carnivores, they just do not have the capacity to process grains, which alcohol is made from. A wild canine may run across some fermented fruit from time to time, but your kitty's ancestors never even tried the stuff. A few sips can lead to kidney failure, and it would be a good idea to get your cat to the vet immediately if even a small amount is ingested. A cat's body processes alcohol differently then a dog or human and it can cause some severe damage pretty quickly.

Lastly, I've seen more people try to give their birds alcohol then any other pet. Maybe it's because parrots tend to be more curious then other pets, or maybe because birds tend to be a bit more entertaining and we think they'd be hilarious if drunk, but as they are as bad at handling alcohol as humans are good at it. Even a large bird can not handle more then a few sips. Birds maintain an extremely high metabolism. Their bodies run at a hundred miles an hour all day every day, it's crucial for their survival. Aside from the toxicity of alcohol, it's a depressant. Birds can not handle having their heart rate slow down even slightly.

Alcohol poisoning can happen in all animals just as humans, only much quicker, and with less alcohol. The symptoms are the same, vomiting, frequent urination, confusion, and loss of balance. The best course of action if you think your pet has gotten into some alcohol and showing these symptoms will be to get them to a vet, immediately.

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