First-Ever Hound Hooked on Alcohol: Vets Save Labrador From Booze Addiction

There is no direct answer as to how the canine became an alcoholic, and scientists stress that substance abuse among animals is utterly rare.

Coco, a 2-year-old Labrador, became the first dog to be treated for alcoholism, a British news outlet reports. The canine and his counterpart ended up in an animal shelter after the death of their owner. The dogs were suffering from seizures and found themselves in emergency care. Following a checkup, the vets were surprised to discover that the canines were suffering from alcohol withdrawal.

The second pup unfortunately passed away, however, Coco spent four weeks sedated and eventually survived. The vets state that the Labrador is starting to behave like a normal dog, despite the fact that he is still suffering psychologically from anxiety and other issues. But soon the pooch will be ready for adoption.

Labrador retriever

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Allegedly, the dogs became addicted to drinking booze while their then owner would fall asleep.

Alcoholism among animals is generally uncharted territory for researchers, since there are too few documented cases and most evidence is anecdotal. For instance, it was long believed that elephants in South Africa got drunk by eating marula tree fruits. However, a study conducted by Steve Morris, David Humphreys, and Dan Reynolds of the University of Bristol showed that while elephants would not refuse something containing alcohol, their weight makes intoxication extremely unlikely.