While alcohol is usually notorious for hurting health rather than improving it, in this case, it was vodka that saved the life of one poor cat who was at death’s door.
A kindly passerby spotted a very sick looking feline alone just outside a tire store in Brisbane, Australia. He was believed to be showing signs of having ingested antifreeze, a deadly danger to any living being, and was rushed to the RSPCA for emergency treatment.
When the cat’s blood tests came back positive for renal failure, the medical staff knew they had very little time to act if they wanted to save his life. As luck would have it, one of the nurses happened to have just the cure sitting in her car: a bottle of Absolut vodka.
The staff quickly administered an IV drip containing the vodka. Within several hours, the cat who was brought in on the verge of death had stabilized.
“Because it’s such a fast-acting toxin, they’re normally dead by the time we get to treat them,” RSPCA doctor Sarah Kanther told ABC News. “So basically once you put the alcohol into his blood it metabolizes that instead, and gives the antifreeze time to pass in a less toxic form.”
Michael Beatty from the RSPCA said it was not known whether the cat was purposely baited.
“Unfortunately we have seen a lot of baiting going on and some of it is using antifreeze,” he said. “And that’s really disturbing because from what I understand it can take a small teaspoon, and it’s a very unpleasant way to die. Cats in particular are attracted to it because of the sweet taste.”
Baiting is classed as a serious offense and carries a maximum penalty of three years. Anyone with information is being urged to contact the RSPCA.
Unfortunately, the cat was not microchipped and if the owner does not come forward to claim him, he will soon be put up for adoption. And the nurses already picked a perfect moniker for the feline: “Tipsy.”
For the full article visit http://www.abc.net.au/
