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A disturbing new trend in the State of Addiction: Addicts stealing pain medication from their pets.

It’s an issue new to veterinarians in the growing opioid crisis.

Addicts are stealing drugs meant for their pets and in some cases owners purposely hurt their pets to get their hands on painkillers.

“To think about an animal in pain because the owner is abusing it is the last thing we want to think about,” Dr. Lisa Ciucci said. “People get blacklisted. There are names that get bounced from vet to vet that says don’t work with this person, don’t prescribe them medication.”

In 2014, a Kentucky woman was sentenced to four years in prison for cutting her dog with razor blades so she could get the dog’s pain medication.

Ciucci said she hasn’t seen an incident that severe yet.

But at her clinic, she said addicts do try to game the prescription refill system.

“They’re always quick in naming what pain medication they would like us to prescribe,” Ciucci said.

The most common requests:

1. Tramadol.

2. Xanax.

3. Valium

If simply asking fails, addicts sometimes flat out lie to get a prescription refilled.

“Usually, it’s that the dog jumped on them and they spilled everywhere and they just can’t find them or pick them up. That seems to be the most common excuse,” Ciucci said.

To make sure she’s being told the truth, Ciucci always gives the pet a thorough physical exam.

If the symptoms don’t match what the owner’s saying, Ciucci says no to prescribing drugs, which can lead to uncomfortable confrontations.

“They start blaming, throwing accusations, being rude because they want the response of, ‘OK, here’s your medication.’ And so when you stand your ground and don’t give them the medication you get an upset client,” Ciucci said.

Ciucci said she’s never had any physical threats, but in the wild world of pet prescriptions, she finds herself walking a morality tightrope she’s never experienced before.

“We train, we live, our entire existence is to do the best for the animals … to have to think about, ‘Do I have to deprive a patient of something they need in order for not having it be abused by the owner?’ is a terrible thing,” Ciucci said.

The problem’s gotten so out of control that some veterinary schools now teach how to handle addicts who try to abuse their pet’s prescriptions.