- The Scoop on Black Currant, Evening Primrose and Borage Oils for Dogs
- Is Your Dog’s Lipstick ‘Stuck’? Could It Be Dog Paraphimosis?
- Is it Safe to Put Nail Polish on a Dog?
- Horner’s Syndrome in Dogs: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment
- How Long Does It Take For A Female Dog Nipples To Recede After Pregnancy?
Dogs are very good at eating things that they shouldn’t! Unfortunately, some of the more common items to be left lying around, played with, and swallowed are socks. In this article, we will talk through the potential problems caused by socks and how to fix them in the best possible way for your dog. If your dog ate a sock, make sure similar objects are out of reach, determine what size of sock your dog ate and when, and then contact your veterinarian. Finally, follow your vet’s advice! Keep reading to learn more.
You are reading: My Dog Ate a Sock – Our Vet Explains What to Do
What happens if my dog eats a sock?
Socks are impossible for the gut to digest so, once swallowed, they need to come back out again! Items like this that cannot be digested are referred to as “foreign bodies” or “foreign objects” by veterinarians. In the stomach, foreign objects will irritate the lining of the stomach and cause nausea, loss of appetite, and retching or vomiting. These symptoms will usually appear within 24 hours but can take longer. If the foreign object manages to leave the stomach, it will also irritate the lining of the intestines and can cause pain and diarrhea as it moves through the guts.
The 4 Next Steps to Take If Your Dog Ate a Sock (or Other Foreign Object):
1. Prevent any further objects from being eaten.
It is important to ensure that if your dog is trying to eat further objects, you prevent this from happening. Offer your dog a reward for dropping the sock and, if it’s safe, check their mouth for any caught bits of fabric. If there are more socks, consider shutting your dog away and cleaning up the offending items!
2. Determine the size of the object eaten and when it was likely eaten.
Knowing these facts, alongside the size of your dog, will help you and your veterinarian make the best treatment decision moving forwards. Did your dog eat a pop sock? Or a football sock? Or are several socks torn up? How long was your dog left unattended? Could he have eaten it hours ago or was he only alone for five minutes?
3. Contact your veterinarian.
It is vital to get veterinary advice as soon as possible to ensure the best outcome for your dog. They’ll ask you for more information about your dog’s current behavior as well as some information about what they’ve eaten and when.
4. Follow your veterinarian’s advice.
Read more : Understanding and Managing Mouthing and Pawing
This may be to come down to the clinic for an assessment and treatment, or your veterinarian may be happy to monitor the situation at home under close supervision. It’s very important that you don’t try to manage the situation yourself, as this can lead to a worse outcome for your dog.
- Related Read: My Dog Ate an Ant Trap! – Here’s What to Do (Our Vet Answers)
How do I make my dog throw up a sock?
If the sock was eaten within the last 4 hours, then your veterinarian may be able to give an injection to induce strong, reliable vomiting, and remove the sock from the stomach that way. This will prevent the sock from causing irritation to the stomach or going any further down into the digestive system.
WARNING! Do not try to make your dog vomit a sock at home unless recommended to do so by your vet. These home remedies are not reliable, and the chemicals used to induce vomiting in dogs at home can be extremely dangerous for your dog—some dogs can have more trouble due to the home remedy than the original problem! They are also not very reliable— and if your home remedy doesn’t make your dog vomit, it reduces the number of options for your dog later down the line.
What happens if my dog doesn’t vomit a sock?
If the sock was eaten over 4 hours ago, or vomiting fails to produce the sock, your veterinarian may recommend monitoring the situation. This is only a decision a veterinarian can make safely, and they will weigh up the risks. In some cases, it may be helpful to feed bulky food such as pasta to wrap around the sock and help guide it through the digestive tract. Your dog may need some help with it at the other end! It is possible for a dog to pass a sock on his own—but it takes a small sock, a large dog, and a fair bit of luck.
How do I know if my dog has something stuck in his stomach?
If your veterinarian is worried about the relative sizes of the sock and your dog, or if your dog is showing any symptoms of tummy upset (especially vomiting and pain), then further investigation of the problem is likely to be needed. This might include X-rays, which may show the sock itself, or suspicious patterns of the gut that suggest a blockage—not all objects show up on an X-ray so this can be hard to interpret.
Veterinarians may also use ultrasound of the tummy to look for problems, which gives a smaller picture but can be more accurate in detecting objects. If your vet is unsure, they may suggest monitoring, giving fluids and pain relief, and repeating the X-rays in 24 hours to see if everything is moving properly.
How do you unblock a dog’s intestines?
Read more : Let’s Talk About Dog Nipples
If the veterinarian feels that the foreign body is unlikely to get through, or is currently stuck, then urgent surgery to remove the sock may be required. This is the only reliable way to unblock a dog’s intestines, and it’s important to do it quickly before the gut loses blood supply or the sock rips the intestines.
Surgery is done under general anesthetic and involves opening the abdomen, finding the sock, and removing it safely. The rest of the tummy can then be checked for any damage to the gut (and any other foreign objects—we’re looking at you, Labradors!). If the gut is heavily damaged, a part may need to be removed.
Will my dog be okay after eating a sock?
Most dogs will recover within two weeks and do extremely well, although they may need a night or two at the clinic to recover with extra pain relief. More intensive surgeries, such as removing a section of the bowel, carry a risk of a worse outcome. Some dogs may still die from complications of bowel obstruction and damage despite good treatment. The sooner the problem is identified and veterinary help is sought, the sooner the sock can be retrieved, and the easier the surgery and recovery will be for your dog and your veterinarian!
It is also worth noting that an easier outcome is usually the cheaper outcome—major bowel obstruction surgery can cost thousands of dollars, and a longer recovery time can add more to that. If the problem can be treated using a quick vomiting injection, or a simple surgery, it will also be kinder to your wallet!
Related Read: My Dog Ate Rat Poison! – Here’s What to Do (Our Vet Answers) 
Final Thoughts
Dogs are often tempted to eat foreign objects like socks, and if not treated properly and promptly this can have life-threatening complications if the sock gets stuck and causes an obstruction. It is important to seek professional veterinary advice from your local clinic at the earliest possible stage to give your dog, your veterinarian, and your wallet the best chance of success!
Related: Why Does My Dog Steal My Socks? 5 Reasons and How to Stop It
Featured Image Credit: bane.m, Shutterstock
Source: https://phantomiot.com
Category: Dog Health
