Did You See This: Dog Eats 43 Socks!

view of x-ray showing 'foreign material' in stomach, then the socks that were removed from the stomach (Image Source)

Sometimes dogs can eat the craziest things! There was an article circulating online awhile ago that showed a dog that had eaten 43 socks! In this case it was not so much a crazy thing he ate but the crazy number of things he ate!! Fortunately according to the many internet articles the dog did fine after surgery and made a full recovery. You can find one version of the story here. 

Pets can definitely get into trouble when left unattdended. It is hard to tell who did it, as they both look pretty guilty here! (Image Source)

This story could have had a very different ending if the family that owned the dog had ignored his symptoms. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to KNOW our pet got into something, but sometimes we do not even notice anything is missing. I can't even count the number of times I have lost a sock during the laundry process! In this case, the dog started vomiting and was taken to the veterinarian. They recommended x-rays and while they did not know what specifically was in the stomach, they knew something that was not supposed to be in there was there, and a lot of it! Surgery was recommended and thankfully was successful. When all was said and done 43 (and 1/2) socks were removed from the stomach. 

Those turned into some very expensive socks! (Image Source)

In this case, it was very good that the socks had not traveled further down the gastro-intestinal tract. The stomach is in most cases easier to operate on and much more quick to heal when compared to the intestinal tract. 

All that mischief would make any one tired! (Image Source)

Another thing this story points out is that even the most trustworthy of dogs can get into trouble when left unattended. While it is unclear when exactly this particular dog ate the socks, many pets find their way into all sorts of sticky situations when they are roaming the house. Whenever possible it is a good idea to keep your pets confined to a small space or kennel when you are not at home. This decreases the risk of things they could get into that could lead to problems. 

Sometimes the best option is to keep your pet confined to make sure they are safe while you are away! (Image Source)

Having said that, I definitely had a beagle growing up that was a Houdini, and could get out of any small space we confined her too and the list of things she ate in her life time was long (and strange). If your pet does get into something it shouldn't, the best thing to do is to call your veterinarian to know if immediate action should be taken. While socks are not toxic, they could lead to an obstruction which can lead to other problems. There are also many household items that could be hazardous to our pet. So whenever possible keep them confined when unsupervised and if an accident does happen call your veterinarian right away!