If you weren’t paying attention once, and then it happened: yours Dog ate a sock.
Dogs are notorious for eating just about anything that fits in their mouths. But what to do if your dog has indeed inhaled your sock? Find out in our guide below!
What happens if my dog ate a sock?
If your dog has eaten a sock, this can quite quickly to a life-threatening emergency become.
But that is initially also related to the size of the sock along with the size of your dog. The material of the swallowed sock is also crucial.
For example, if this is made of an artificial material, the chance that the dog’s stomach can digest the sock is reduced.
So the fact is: A sock – no matter if Sneaker sock or nylon sock – should not be taken lightly.
Because: It already can in the truest sense of the word get stuck in the throat. This in turn can lead to suffocation.
Once it has made it into the digestive tract, the next danger lurks here: a intestinal obstruction. If not recognized and treated in time, this can also lead to the death of the dog.
In some cases it can to be naturalthat the Sock excreted naturally becomes. Gastric juice can play a role here. Namely, if this could already decompose the sock – if made of a natural material.
Dog ate sock: first aid
However, generally assume that the swallowed sock will First aid necessary is. There are several signs that you can tell that your fur nose has eaten an object that is definitely not on the menu.
Your dog will start to strangle. After all, the foreign body should be removed from the body as quickly as possible.
This happens not only when the sock is still stuck in the throat, but also when it has already wandered towards the anus. To a certain extent, this urge to vomit is the dog’s protective function of getting rid of everything that is foreign.
If the sock is stuck there, there are additional symptoms. The dog starts to pant and to drooling. He also suffers from weight loss.
The reason: although he can no longer defecate, he may also be eating less.
You can provide first aid in different ways. If the sock is stuck in your throat, you can Carefully remove foreign bodies from it.
Please don’t forget the to keep calm. Because your dog will panic and try to bite. It is therefore all the more important that you try very slowly to pull the sock out of your throat.
Also can a laxative or laxative help. However, you should discuss its administration with the veterinarian in advance.
Already knew?
Many dog owners swear by it sauerkraut. This should help to support digestion – even if the sock has been swallowed. The same applies here: Please have all possibilities clarified by the veterinarian!
When should I see a vet?
Did you notice that your dog ate a sock, you should Best to go to the vet right away drive.
A rule of thumb applies here: Within the first few hours after eating, the foreign body – the sock – by vomiting be transported back outside.
For this purpose, the veterinarian administers to the dog Narcotic that induces nausea. However, since this only works 2 to 3 hours after the sock has been eaten, a certain hurry is needed here.
The advantage of this quite drastic measure: the sock is out again. The downside: your dog will probably feel pretty groggy for the rest of the day. Still, he got off with a black eye.
If you only notice after a few days that your dog seems to have inhaled a sock, you should then visit the vet at the latest. And that is if the sock was not excreted with the feces.
The vet can through roentgen determined, where exactly the sock is in the dog organism. If no laxative helps here, one can surgery the only solution may be to remove the sock from the four-legged friend.
How can I stop my dog from eating socks and other things?
dogs are omnivore. And even if they should know that socks are not lining – it doesn’t stop them from incorporating these items of clothing.
In order to avoid panic in your dog and also in you, the following applies: Your dog must learn that socks are not food.
Safest way to keep dog and socks apart in the future: Just lock them away. That way your dog can’t get to them and the sock-eating problem is history.
Another alternative is a sufficient employment. If the dog is bored, shoes and socks are quickly nibbled on.
But if your furry friend has a good selection of toys and chew bones or chew toys, the socks quickly lose their appeal.
Maybe you can give him a toy that resembles a sock? It’s just not a real sock.
Interesting:
In particular, the socks love of dogs applies to dirty socks. Because these smell wonderfully like you – and because your dog loves you, he prefers these to clean socks.
Why it is like that? We have some of our sweat glands on our feet. And these give off the most intense of our own odors.
The same can be applied to your shoes and your worn laundry. What probably stinks to high heaven for you makes your dog very happy.
Conclusion
Perhaps you already know from your own painful experience that your dog eats socks. We hope, of course, that this only happened once and ended lightly.
Depending on the size and material of the sock, this should be the case not always a veterinary emergency act. Nevertheless, it can make sense to clarify the «Socke case» with the veterinarian – after all, the safety and health of the dog come first.
What are your experiences with socks and dogs? Share them with us in the comments!