43 Socks Surgically Removed From One Dog Stomach

Anyone that has ever done laundry has dealt with this age old head-scratcher: “where on earth is this sock’s pair?” Sometimes it feels like they just dissolve into the universe.For one family, the “mystery of the missing sock” has been solved, and the culprit was their 3-year-old

. And from the looks of it, he was a repeat offender -- during exploratory surgery, the vet discovered a whopping

in the dog stomach!

And it’s a good thing the mystery was solved when it was, because after devouring 43 socks, there wasn't much room left in his dog stomach for anything else like, say,

.That is actually part of what tipped the family off to their dog’s problem to begin with -- their normally ravenous Great Dane seemed a little peaky during mealtime. The vomiting and retching were probably a

that something was wrong as well.Luckily, the dog is just fine. After the initial shock of discovering this massive wad of missing socks, the surgery to remove the blockage went smoothly. The dog needed only one day to

after the surgery before he was sent home.

While the problem with this particular Great Dane is more of a statistical outlier than it is a routine occurrence -- 43 socks! -- it does stem from one of the hallmark characteristics of our furry friends.Dogs. Eat.

.Any dog owner has their own “don’t eat that!” kind of story, whether it is socks, underpants, garbage, or

is your dog’s food substitute of choice.But why?

A bolder creature than most, dogs do a lot of their exploring through their mouth. Some dogs learn quickly that things like plastic bags or tin cans are not meant to be eaten. Other dogs decide to keep trying. If you happen to have a more adventurous dog like the Great Dane that ate all the socks, here are a few things to remember:

• Keep anything that smells like it might be edible out of reach.
• Just because it smells nasty to you, doesn't mean your dog agrees. Many dogs like to challenge their palate with some very foul odors (like socks!)
• Get lids for all your trash cans and laundry hampers.
• Leave toys and chews around the house to distract them.
• Reward him/her for chewing on a toy.
• DON’T punish them unless you catch them in the act. Yelling at your dog with a half eaten shoe in your hand only confuses him/her.

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