A kitten in the UK is receiving black vodka treatment after a second attack on a family’s cats in Redcar. Missey was covered in anti-freeze. I presume a nasty, cruel individual wanted to kill Missey because it is well-known nowadays that the ethylene glycol in anti-freeze causes kidney failure in cats. Missey’s caretaker, Paul Stephenson, believed he would have to have her euthanized.
Anti-freeze need not include ethylene glycol. There are substitutes but some uncaring manufacturers don’t care. A bitterant can also be added to make it unpalatable to cats.
Anyway to the point. A specialist vet has given Missey a 50% chance of surviving and the treatment has included using black vodka placed on a drip “to break down the crystals that form after anti-freeze is swallowed”. Whisky is just as good or at least one Scottish woman discovered it was.
Ethanol is an antidote to anti-freeze poisoning. It halts the poisoning but treatment has to be undertaken soon after the poison has been ingested.
Vodka is a mixture of a high concentration of ethanol and water.
Interesting. I think the trouble is that you have to give the cat the alcohol intravenously in largish amounts. It is not possible to give it any other way. Just a thought.
I heard of this over 20 years ago in the monthly horse magazine. I’m pretty sure it was Equus. A horse got into the owners garage and drank a pan of anti freeze. You would think this would be common knowledge by now.
I’m pretty sure that our state has the bittering agent added.
Ashlee, my immediate impression is that the only way to administer ethanol is in a controlled way at a veterinary clinic. It is called “ethanol therapy”. It probably has to be administered through a drip. My initial research indicates that a lot of ethanol has to be used but I can’t find a precise amount. Perhaps your veterinarian will be able to assist.
It would seem that the normal urgent treatment is to induce vomiting and then take the cat to a veterinarian. If treatment is to be delayed then you can administer activated charcoal to prevent further absorption of the ethylene glycol.
That is about the best I can do in response to your comment. I don’t feel that I have done a great job but it may give you some ideas.
Ashlee, thanks for commenting. You have asked a tricky question. I would like to answer it as accurately as possible. In order to do so I will have to do a bit of research. Please give me a little while to do this and then I will make another response to your comment. Thanks again.