Have you ever made a joke about needing an IV drip of alcohol after a bad week at work? “Who wants to go for a drink?” “Can they put it right into my veins?!” Well, that’s actually a thing! Vodka is used intravenously to treat antifreeze poisoning in dogs and cats. In fact, many animal emergency rooms carry at least one bottle of vodka or Everclear for this very reason.
I have only experienced one case of antifreeze poisoning in a dog. This particular dog was kept free-range in a garage during the day while the owners were not home. Unfortunately for the dog, when his owners arrived at home, he was already pretty sick. The dog had been vomiting, seemed unstable on his feet, and was starting to have tremors. The owners, thankfully, were able to rush him to our hospital for treatment before his symptoms became worse.
Antifreeze, which contains Ethylene Glycol, is said to smell and taste sweet. Which is why some dogs and cats may be enticed to try it. Many antifreeze products today now contain a bittering agent in an attempt to prevent ingestion. Even the smallest amount of ethylene glycol ingested can be deadly to your pet. Pets must be treated quickly. There is no room to dawdle.
What are the symptoms of antifreeze poisoning?
Many pets will display lethargy, vomiting, seizures, and hypothermia within the first 12 hours of ingestion. After 12 hours without treatment, there is a sort of “calm before the storm”. The earlier symptoms decrease, but the respiratory and heart rate begins to increase and the pet becomes severely dehydrated. Just 24 hours after ingestion, with no treatment, there is significant injury to the kidneys. The kidneys begin to swell and become painful. The pet’s health rapidly declines. There is a chance the pet could still survive with late stage treatment, but they will have lasting kidney damage, potentially lasting neurological damage, and a very shortened life span.
So here we are, with a dog suspected of antifreeze poisoning. Knowing this dog was kept in the garage all day, the veterinarian ordered an ethylene glycol test strip be performed. This test only requires a quick blood draw. It came back confirming our suspicions. The dog was immediately placed on IV fluids and hooked up to a bolus of vodka. Yup, VODKA.
Why vodka?
Vodka (ethanol) works by blocking the body from spreading the toxic chemical. Ethanol has a greater affinity for the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and therefore simply outcompetes ethylene glycol from metabolizing. Yes, the pet will become drunk and there are consequences to this treatment. But it will save their life.
While antifreeze ingestion is not common, it does happen. It’s best to avoid the situation and not allow your pets in the garage or near parked cars while unattended. If you have no other choice but to house your pet in the garage while you are away, make sure they are secured in a crate or large kennel, away from any chemicals that could have leaked onto the ground.
By the way, this dog did survive after almost a week of hospitalization and close monitoring. He came back frequently for bloodwork and exams over the next year to monitor his kidney and liver function. Hopefully, he was never kept in the garage alone again.