jkoch

By Dr. John Koch

Question: My dog likes to drink beer. I don't give him much, just a saucer every now and then. My wife gets all over me for doing this, but Bud really seems to enjoy it. Will this hurt him?

Answer: Giving alcohol to dogs is not considered a good idea. However, beer is so diluted that a little bit on occasion probably won't hurt him. Stronger alcoholic beverages should definitely be avoided. Research has shown that dogs can actually develop a craving for it and fight for it.

I can recall one particular patient that would come in every few weeks for symptoms of staggering, difficulty walking and incoordination. It took repeated visits for me to figure out what was going on. The fact that the owner always smelled heavily of alcohol led me to ask if she ever gave her dog anything with alcohol in it to drink. She finally admitted that her dog did have a little "drinkie," as she phrased it, with her each evening. She said it seemed to relax him. She went on to say that if she refused him, he would get mean and bite her. The lady didn't think she was giving the dog that much to drink, but the dog only weighed 15 pounds. It doesn't take much alcohol to affect an animal that size.

Dogs are not normally attracted to alcoholic beverages. However, often dogs will do almost anything to please their owners. The consumption of alcohol in pets is to be discouraged.

Dr. Koch is a Cape Girardeau-area veterinarian.