Yes, you read that headline correctly. While this story might seem like a humorous lark to some, the reality of the matter is that dogs can develop a dependency on alcohol much like their human counterparts. When the man in this story learned that a dog was being forced to consume alcohol, he decided that he would intervene so that the animal could have a better life.
I_am_a_mountainman is the Reddit user who decided to share this story with the rest of the world. Digger the dog was initially discovered during a visit to some distant relatives. These relatives thought that it would be funny to show people the “trick” that they had taught their dog. The “trick” was to withhold his food from him until he had consumed half a bottle of wine each day.
These relatives thought that their actions were hilarious but anyone with half a brain realizes that this behavior is as cruel as it gets. Since Digger had become accustomed to the alcohol and was no longer staggering about for their amusement, they were ready to get rid of him. I_am_a_mountainman offered to take him off their hands and they were happy to be rid of him.
This created a unique problem for the man in question. How do you get a dog who has become accustomed to drinking alcohol to stop wanting to consume it? The dog was dependent on alcohol and he now needed to help the animal successfully detox. When the dog first arrived, he would lose his mind if he wasn’t being given his daily dose of booze.
After consulting with some experts, it was decided that he would slowly wean the dog off the alcohol. He swapped out the wine for apple cider eventually and was able to successfully accelerate the weaning process before the animal’s liver started to fail. At long last, Digger was able to withstand a 24 hour period without access to any alcohol.
If you would like to learn more about this dog’s unique story, be sure to take a closer look at the original Reddit thread. He is expected to live out the rest of his life in a normal fashion. After everything that he has been through, this news is nothing short of miraculous. We are happy to see Digger receiving a much needed (and well deserved!) second chance at a happy existence.
How to treat a dog that has developed a physical dependence to alcohol? from AskVet
