Eating entire socks & throwing them back up whole!

MrsBevers · #1 10-27-2009, 04:54 PM

Ok, this is very strange now & scary to me. My 10-month old Boxer boy had been caught nemorous times chewing up socks but is always scolded & they are takin away. But 4 times now we've gotten up in the morning (he sleeps in his crate) & found a food covered sock thrown up in his crate. Apparently (this is the only conclusion we could come to) he is SOMEHOW swallowing ENTiRE socks & then he'll eat some food to make himself throw it back up. My husband & I are VERY afraid that he's gonna sufficate in the middle of the night trying to throw one of these socks back up & we would never know it. I noticed this past week that he's getting skinner & hasn't been eating his food then this morning there were TWO socks that had been thrown back up in his crate! I don't understand?! Has anyone else had this issue & is it something i need to let the vet know? All the socks in my house are kept away from him i don't know how he keeps getting them!? Please give me some advice. Thanks!

Caney Creek · #2 10-27-2009, 05:46 PM

I would get him to the vet ASAP, especially since you've noticed him getting thinner this past week. It is very possible that he's eaten some that are not coming back up -- an obstruction like that in his GI tract could kill him, and WILL kill him if he cannot pass it on his own. I used to pet-sit a German Shepherd who also had a habit of eating socks -- one day his owner saw him throw up one, took him to the vet where they ended up finding SIX MORE socks in his intestines.

DMHyankees · #3 10-27-2009, 06:07 PM

This may sound really obvious, but I find that if my boy is chewing, playing, or interacting at all with something he shouldn't be.....I take away 100% access to it. Problem solved. No access to shoes, no issue with him chewing them. No socks to chew.....

iluvfrankie · #4 10-27-2009, 07:32 PM

My friends samoyed ate a pair of socks and needed surgery to remove them- this is a very serious and dangerous problem. My girl used steal socks and leave them in the garden so we got a laundry basket with a zip on top- problem solved. Ur problem is more serious if he is loosing weight there may be an obstruction- vet asap! Also he isnt dreaming the socks into like he IS finding them somewhere.

SweetCody · #5 10-28-2009, 06:19 AM

Take him to the vet immediately. There is every chance since you have noticed weight loss that he has an obstruction. This can only be remedied by surgery and is fatal if not removed. I hope that this is not the case. But from now on it is time to be very diligent about not leaving socks where he can reach them. I am a slob at heart but I had to change that after Aniah because she is a clothes and shoes chewer. And I didn't want my stuff destroyed and I sure didn't want her to be harmed by my laziness. Sending out some vibes to your boy, I hope that everything is OK. Please keep us posted.