Man Mistakenly Buys Ferrets On Steroids In Argentina, Not ‘Toy Poodles’ [VIDEO]

This might have you second-guessing the next time you go to the pet store.

An Argentine man was fooled into buying a pair of ferrets on steroids who were passed as poodles in an outdoor street market in Buenos Aires. It's a story that’s gained the attention of several media outlets.

When the man took his “poodles” to the veterinarian, he was told that they were actually ferrets -- and the animals were pumped up with steroids to look like dogs.

The man, who’s retired, paid $150 per animal at La Salada, the South American country’s largest street bazaar, according to Yahoo! News.

Argentinians call these steroid-pumped ferrets, “Brazilian rats,” and the vet told the man that they “had been given steroids at birth to increase their size and then had some extra grooming to make their coats resemble a fluffy toy poodle,” the Daily Mail reported by translating a video of the story that ran in a local Argentine news station last June.

At least this guy isn’t alone. Another woman who was interviewed by the news station said she was also tricked at the same market. But her animal was a “chihuahua.”

So the next time you’re looking around for your next dog to bring home, consider this handy guide that the Daily Mail put together that tells you the difference between a ferret on steroids and a poodle (or chihuahua):

• - Ferrets typically have brown, white or mixed fur and are around 51 cm in length -- which includes a 13 cm tail.
• - They weigh around three pounds and have a lifespan of seven to 10 years.
• - When happy, ferrets may perform a routine known as the weasel war dance -- which is characterized by a series of hops and frenzied attempts to bump into things.
• - This is often accompanied by a soft clucking noise called dooking. When upset ferrets make a hissing noise.
• - Toy poodles are known for their intelligence and are around 25 cm tall and weigh around nine pounds.
• - If a toy poodle exceeds 25 cm height, it cannot compete in any dog show as a toy poodle.
• - Toy poodles have lengthy lifespans and have been known to live as long as 20 years.
• - They are described as sweet, cheerful and perky and lively and love to be around people.

Watch the original video below: