As any owner of a teething puppy will attest, dogs enjoy chewing on a wide variety of objects. The act of chewing may seem like nothing more than an annoyance, but if your dog swallows anything he may be chewing on, that’s a whole other story. One such item dogs seem to routinely swallow is socks. Although socks aren’t as dangerous for dogs to eat as toxic doses of medication or food, they can still be a cause for concern.
What if you’re not sure if your dog ate a sock?
Because some objects are difficult to see on an x-ray and because dogs occasionally swallow objects without their owners realizing it, your veterinarian may decide to examine the stomach with an endoscope to determine whether your dog ate a sock or swallowed something else. When I use a scope to examine someone who I believe to have bowel disease or chronic inflammation, I occasionally exclaim, “Oh look, there’s a ball down here!” Diehl says.
An intestinal obstruction, where the sock lodges in the intestines and creates a blockage, is one result you really want to avoid. A serious obstruction requires surgery to remove the object. The tricky thing about intestinal obstructions is that you might not notice your dog has one unless you actually saw him swallow something inappropriate, like a sock.
The 4 Steps If Your Dog Ate a Sock (or Other Foreign Object):
If your dog is attempting to eat additional objects, it’s crucial to take precautions to stop this from happening. If it’s safe, give your dog a treat for dropping the sock and look inside their mouth for any fabric that may have gotten caught. If there are more socks, you might want to confine your dog and clear the area.
My dog ate a sock – should I make him sick?
If your dog ate a sock, you can try to make them vomit at home, but there are risks. It could get stuck in the dog’s throat on its way out if the sock is particularly large or the dog is particularly small. This is obviously a choking hazard, so it would be much better to be in a veterinary office.
Call a veterinarian if you can’t get to one right away; they will be able to give you advice over the phone. If your veterinarian suggests that you induce vomiting, they’ll probably give you instructions. Instead of that, we still have resources at our disposal.
In accordance with London Vet Clinics dosing recommendations, you can induce vomiting using 3% hydrogen peroxide (do not use higher strength solutions).
You can use that link to access the complete list of dosages for dogs of various sizes. For instance, a 45–55 pound dog will require 30 ml of hydrogen peroxide. Ingestion of this mixture causes vomiting, which should help the sock come off.
Before using this method as a treatment, consult your veterinarian because there are risks involved. Any person researching “how to make a dog throw up a sock” should keep in mind that a veterinarian should always perform this.
FAQ
What happens if my dog ate a sock?
What happens to the sock if your dog ate it? If your dog is large and the item was small, like a sock, the dog may simply vomit the item back up, either right away or a day or two later. If that doesn’t happen, it’s possible that the dog will eventually poop the sock out after passing it.
Should I make my dog throw up if he ate a sock?
If your dog ate a sock, you can try to make them vomit at home, but there are risks. It could get stuck in the dog’s throat on its way out if the sock is particularly large or the dog is particularly small. This is obviously a choking hazard, so it would be much better to be in a veterinary office.
How can I help my dog pass a sock?
Your veterinarian might attempt to physically remove the sock if it seems stuck or unlikely to pass on its own. The sock will, in the best-case scenario, get stuck in your dog’s stomach. In such circumstances, your veterinarian might be able to reach inside, grab the sock, and gently yank it out using an endoscope (with a special attachment).