'Alcoholic' Labrador becomes first dog treated for addiction
An 'alcoholic' Labrador has become the first dog treated for addiction, as vets scramble to save him while his hooked companion sadly died.
The booze had tragically been left out by their owner when they they died.
The male puppy, named Coco, arrived at a Devon shelter suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms, but its companion died shortly after suffering from fits.
The shelter in question, Woodside Animal Welfare Trust, said that it was 'a first' for them to see the animals suffering from canine alcohol withdrawal.
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Based in Plymouth, Devon, the animal rescue centre added that Coco, a two-year-old Labrador cross, has now been with them for over a month, having initially required intensive care treatment since arriving as part of his 'tragic' journey.
Coco and his canine companion arrived at the rescue centre following the sad death of their owner, but it soon became apparent that all was not as it should be, and they both suddenly fell ill.
The dog who sadly died was repeatedly fitting before Coco also started to have a fit.
A vet, who was at the shelter at the time, explained that the on-site-team had tried their best to save both dogs, but the other dog passed away.
Meanwhile, Coco remained 'seriously unwell and required round the clock care', the shelter explained on their Facebook page.
The Labrador pup's diagnosis was tricky, but the team explained: "It became clear that he was suffering from symptoms that all pointed to alcohol withdrawal."
Staff at the rescue centre told the Telegraph that the dogs became dependent on alcohol when their owner left out drinks 'before he went to sleep'.
Their post continues: "He spent four weeks sedated to help with his withdrawal symptoms and to reduce the risk of further fits."
Thankfully the treatment appears to have been successful and the puppy will be ready for adoption soon.
The shelter's social post expressed their relief: 'We are so thankful that we are now out of danger and Coco is off all medication and is now starting to behave like a normal dog.
"He is not yet ready for adoption and whilst physically he seems to have recovered, mentally he is still very anxious at times."
The rescue centre explained that he would have to go through a gradual process of rehabbing back into a home-like environment before being adopted via the Dunroamin Special Care Unit.
"This has most certainly made a difference to his recovery and overall wellbeing.
"No-one knows the specifics on how these dogs got into the situation with alcohol but we do know that without our care Coco would likely have not survived this heart breaking ordeal."
Amelia Jones