This story brings the meaning of hair of the dog to a new level.

Maltese terrier Charlie found himself in after being left with hours to live after licking coolant from his owner Jacinta Rosewarne’s garage.

The dog had ethylene glycol poisoning, which can lead to kidney failure – and the only treatment was to get him as drunk as possible.

Quick-thinking vets deduced that pure alcohol can alter antifreeze chemicals and allow them to be flushed out of an animal’s body. So little Charlie was given 700ml of vodka over two days via a tube.

Animal Accident & Emergency wrote on its blog: ‘For the whole weekend, Charlie had a huge party with us in the Pet ICU.’

It almost certainly saved his life – but also left him with an almighty hangover.

"He was definitely drunk," said Ms Rosewarne, from Melbourne, in Australia, told the Herald Sun.

"He was stumbling around, I’d go to pat him and he’d push me away like a normal drunk person, he was vomiting a little, whining like a drunk."

She added: "I thought it was hilarious. It was distressing but funny at the same time."