Dogs are notorious for eating things they shouldn\u2019t, and many of those things are not necessarily food. Dogs can chew and gulp down almost anything. So, if your dog ate a sock, you\u2019re not alone \u2014 it\u2019s a commonly swallowed item.<\/p>\n
\u201cDogs seem to love cloth,\u201d says Kelly Diehl, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, scientific communications advisor for the Morris Animal Foundation<\/a>, a nonprofit foundation that funds animal health research. \u201cI\u2019ve pulled out a lot of socks and underwear. Amongst us gastroenterologists, people kick around the idea that sometimes dogs eat inappropriate materials because they have some kind of GI problem, whether that\u2019s a food allergy<\/a> or intolerance. I also think there\u2019s a behavioral component to it, which we can\u2019t really explain, but some dogs just seem to be sock eaters.\u201d<\/p>\n What are your next steps to take if your dog ate a sock? Photography \u00a9Barna Tanko | Thinkstock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Whether your dog ate a sock or some other item he has no business swallowing, several things might happen. If the dog is big and the item is small like a sock, the dog might simply vomit it back up \u2014 either right away or a day or two later. If that doesn\u2019t happen, it\u2019s possible that the dog might pass the sock and eventually poop it out. This could take several days, and you will want to take a close look every time your dog poops to check for the sock.<\/p>\n In some cases, if your dog ate a sock, the item might even become stuck in the stomach. \u201cWhen the stomach empties, food will go first and indigestible objects go last,\u201d Dr. Diehl explains. \u201cItems can stay in a dog\u2019s stomach and cause periodic problems. They got them down but they can\u2019t throw them up, and they\u2019re too big to go into the intestine, so they bounce around and cause some discomfort. These dogs usually become chronic vomiters.\u201d<\/p>\n Not sure if your dog ate a sock, or swallowed something else? Because some types of items are difficult to see on an x-ray, and because dogs sometimes swallow things without their owners realizing it, your veterinarian might elect to take a look at the stomach with an endoscope. \u201cSometimes, I go down there with a scope because I think they have bowel disease or chronic inflammation, and I say, \u2018Oh! Look, there\u2019s a ball down here!\u2019\u201d Dr. Diehl says.<\/p>\n One outcome you really hope to avoid is an intestinal obstruction, where the sock lodges somewhere in the intestines, causing a blockage. An obstruction<\/a> is serious and it requires surgery to remove the item. The tricky thing about intestinal obstructions is you might not realize your dog has one if you didn\u2019t actually witness him swallowing a sock or something he shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n If you’re lucky enough to know<\/em> that your dog ate a sock or other item,\u00a0one option is to bring him directly to the veterinarian to see if the item can be removed from the stomach with an endoscope. This is an especially good option if your dog is small and the item is large.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing about socks in the stomach is they\u2019re really easy to pull out with an endoscope,\u201d Dr. Diehl explains. \u201cIt\u2019s going to cost you some, but it\u2019s less expensive than a surgery. Once they get in the intestine, it\u2019s a problem because you can\u2019t get a scope down that far and then they can swell from the gastric and intestinal juices and they can get stuck.\u201d Your regular vet might be able to remove a sock with an endoscope, but if not, he or she can refer you to a specialist who does endoscopy.<\/p>\n According to Dr. Diehl, if a dog ate a sock, many dogs, especially large dogs, will either throw up socks or pass them in their stool. If your dog is not acting sick and isn\u2019t throwing up, one option is to wait and see if it comes out on its own. If you don\u2019t see the object come out in a few days, or if your dog starts acting sick, it\u2019s time to see the vet.<\/p>\n Not sure if your dog ate a sock\u00a0\u2014 or something else?\u00a0Photography \u00a9CreativaImages | Thinkstock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re not sure whether your dog ate a sock or another inappropriate item, but you notice telltale signs of an obstruction<\/a>, go to the vet to have him checked out. \u201cIf your dog starts vomiting<\/a> profusely, especially if he\u2019s not eating or drinking, and he just keeps vomiting and vomiting, that\u2019s often a classic sign of obstruction and that\u2019s definitely a medical emergency,\u201d Dr. Diehl explains. \u201cAdditionally, if your dog isn\u2019t typically a barfer, but starts vomiting several times a week, it could be because something is stuck in the stomach.<\/p>\n If your dog swallows a sharp object, a battery or a very large object, see the vet immediately, as these types of objects\u00a0may cause serious problems. And if your dog swallows underwear, take him in to try to remove it with an endoscope before it gets to the intestine, where the elastic band can cause problems.<\/p>\n \u201cReally be careful about leaving socks and underwear out,\u201d Dr. Diehl cautions. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like a habit with some dogs. It\u2019s much more common in young dogs because they\u2019re often sampling stuff and eating things they shouldn\u2019t. A lot of dogs will grow out of that habit, but some dogs persist.\u201d<\/p>\n Thumbnail: Photography \u00a9dosecreative | Thinkstock.<\/em><\/p>\n This piece was originally published in 2017.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The post Your Dog Ate a Sock. Is It Dangerous?\u00a0What to Do Next<\/a> by Jackie Brown<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Your Dog Ate a Sock. Is It Dangerous?\u00a0What to Do Next<\/a> by Jackie Brown<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Dogs are notorious for eating things they shouldn\u2019t, and many of those things are not necessarily food. Dogs can chew and gulp down almost anything. So, if your dog ate a sock, you\u2019re not alone \u2014 it\u2019s a commonly swallowed item.<\/p>\n \u201cDogs seem to love cloth,\u201d says Kelly Diehl, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, scientific communications advisor for the Morris Animal Foundation<\/a>, a nonprofit foundation that funds animal health research. \u201cI\u2019ve pulled out a lot of socks and underwear. Amongst us gastroenterologists, people kick around the idea that sometimes dogs eat inappropriate materials because they have some kind of GI problem, whether that\u2019s a food allergy<\/a> or intolerance. I also think there\u2019s a behavioral component to it, which we can\u2019t really explain, but some dogs just seem to be sock eaters.\u201d<\/p>\n What are your next steps to take if your dog ate a sock? Photography \u00a9Barna Tanko | Thinkstock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Whether your dog ate a sock or some other item he has no business swallowing, several things might happen. If the dog is big and the item is small like a sock, the dog might simply vomit it back up \u2014 either right away or a day or two later. If that doesn\u2019t happen, it\u2019s possible that the dog might pass the sock and eventually poop it out. This could take several days, and you will want to take a close look every time your dog poops to check for the sock.<\/p>\n In some cases, if your dog ate a sock, the item might even become stuck in the stomach. \u201cWhen the stomach empties, food will go first and indigestible objects go last,\u201d Dr. Diehl explains. \u201cItems can stay in a dog\u2019s stomach and cause periodic problems. They got them down but they can\u2019t throw them up, and they\u2019re too big to go into the intestine, so they bounce around and cause some discomfort. These dogs usually become chronic vomiters.\u201d<\/p>\n Not sure if your dog ate a sock, or swallowed something else? Because some types of items are difficult to see on an x-ray, and because dogs sometimes swallow things without their owners realizing it, your veterinarian might elect to take a look at the stomach with an endoscope. \u201cSometimes, I go down there with a scope because I think they have bowel disease or chronic inflammation, and I say, \u2018Oh! Look, there\u2019s a ball down here!\u2019\u201d Dr. Diehl says.<\/p>\n One outcome you really hope to avoid is an intestinal obstruction, where the sock lodges somewhere in the intestines, causing a blockage. An obstruction<\/a> is serious and it requires surgery to remove the item. The tricky thing about intestinal obstructions is you might not realize your dog has one if you didn\u2019t actually witness him swallowing a sock or something he shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n If you’re lucky enough to know<\/em> that your dog ate a sock or other item,\u00a0one option is to bring him directly to the veterinarian to see if the item can be removed from the stomach with an endoscope. This is an especially good option if your dog is small and the item is large.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing about socks in the stomach is they\u2019re really easy to pull out with an endoscope,\u201d Dr. Diehl explains. \u201cIt\u2019s going to cost you some, but it\u2019s less expensive than a surgery. Once they get in the intestine, it\u2019s a problem because you can\u2019t get a scope down that far and then they can swell from the gastric and intestinal juices and they can get stuck.\u201d Your regular vet might be able to remove a sock with an endoscope, but if not, he or she can refer you to a specialist who does endoscopy.<\/p>\n According to Dr. Diehl, if a dog ate a sock, many dogs, especially large dogs, will either throw up socks or pass them in their stool. If your dog is not acting sick and isn\u2019t throwing up, one option is to wait and see if it comes out on its own. If you don\u2019t see the object come out in a few days, or if your dog starts acting sick, it\u2019s time to see the vet.<\/p>\n Not sure if your dog ate a sock\u00a0\u2014 or something else?\u00a0Photography \u00a9CreativaImages | Thinkstock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re not sure whether your dog ate a sock or another inappropriate item, but you notice telltale signs of an obstruction<\/a>, go to the vet to have him checked out. \u201cIf your dog starts vomiting<\/a> profusely, especially if he\u2019s not eating or drinking, and he just keeps vomiting and vomiting, that\u2019s often a classic sign of obstruction and that\u2019s definitely a medical emergency,\u201d Dr. Diehl explains. \u201cAdditionally, if your dog isn\u2019t typically a barfer, but starts vomiting several times a week, it could be because something is stuck in the stomach.<\/p>\n If your dog swallows a sharp object, a battery or a very large object, see the vet immediately, as these types of objects\u00a0may cause serious problems. And if your dog swallows underwear, take him in to try to remove it with an endoscope before it gets to the intestine, where the elastic band can cause problems.<\/p>\n \u201cReally be careful about leaving socks and underwear out,\u201d Dr. Diehl cautions. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like a habit with some dogs. It\u2019s much more common in young dogs because they\u2019re often sampling stuff and eating things they shouldn\u2019t. A lot of dogs will grow out of that habit, but some dogs persist.\u201d<\/p>\n Thumbnail: Photography \u00a9dosecreative | Thinkstock.<\/em><\/p>\n This piece was originally published in 2017.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The post Your Dog Ate a Sock. Is It Dangerous?\u00a0What to Do Next<\/a> by Jackie Brown<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nIf Your Dog Ate a Sock, Here\u2019s What Happens\u00a0to That Sock<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/A-dog-with-a-sock.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhat If You\u2019re Not Sure<\/em> If Your Dog Ate a Sock?<\/h3>\n
What to Do If Your Dog Swallowed a Sock<\/h3>\n
Did Your Dog Swallow a Sock \u2026 Or Another Object? \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/A-dog-eating-a-sock.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRead more about dog health on Dogster.com:<\/h3>\n
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If Your Dog Ate a Sock, Here\u2019s What Happens\u00a0to That Sock<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nWhat If You\u2019re Not Sure<\/em> If Your Dog Ate a Sock?<\/h3>\n
What to Do If Your Dog Swallowed a Sock<\/h3>\n
Did Your Dog Swallow a Sock \u2026 Or Another Object? \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nRead more about dog health on Dogster.com:<\/h3>\n
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