Chinese hospitals are overdosing on the intravenous drip.

According to a study by the World Health Organization, the use of an IV drip in China to treat minor ailments such as the common cold is ten times the world average. There were a reported five billion IV infusions in China in 2004, more than 30 percent of the world’s total of 16 billion. That figure rose to 10.4 billion doses in 2009, or an average of eight infusions per citizen.

Experts like Li Ling of the China Center for Economic Research calls the heavy usage “absolutely abnormal and even ridiculous”. However, Li may want to reconsider what he considers “ridiculous”. According to a photo from the People’s Daily, even pets are being treated with IV drips:

A puppy being restrained by a Veterinarian to administer an intravenous drip pic.twitter.com/e086mTa5Cr

— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) August 29, 2014

No further information was provided regarding the location, but we’ll assume it’s somewhere in China. In the photo, an electric power bar looks to have the many pronged interfaces required for Chinese electrical devices, there are signs of Chinese characters, and that style of slipper looks very familiar.

We certainly hope this dog gets the medical treatment it deserves and gets back on its paws again soon.

Photo: People’s Daily Online