Luxie's Bad Day...

[Cathy and Luxie]

Well, Luxie really did it this time!! Some of you may remember our previous sock eating episode, when we ended up inducing vomiting with hydrogen peroxide when she was just a litttle pup. Well, since then, I have been diligent about keeping her away from laundry, and treating for rapidly dropping valued goods. Unfortunately when you add in to the equation a trip away from home (to take my daughter to college!), a teenage boy with stinky socks, and no mom to supervise, the outcome was not good. Our first night home we woke up to Luxie vomiting in her crate, and after several attempts, up came a sock! Phew, right?? No... The vomiting and dry heaves kept up, so off we went to the emergency vet at 4:45 am. Of course the x-ray showed a "foreign body" (not too foreign, I was sure) and an obstruction  :(  Well, after removing TWO more boys socks and two days to recover, she's home. I feel terrible because she is clearly miserable. I don't know how we're going to do two weeks in that miserable cone, and I'm sure at the end of this she will need to be shaved down because she is impossible to brush right now. The worst part is that the vet said dogs don't learn from this and she will probably always be a sock eater! Luckily I bought the Petplan insurance, so hopefully that will help alleviate some of the financial pain. I just wish she didn't have to go through the physical pain! Poor Luxie :(

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

Oh Luxie:( Just let your mom know that you will out grow this. Lucca just likes to carry the socks around the house now. He also has one in his mouth every night when he jumps on our bed at 3am:) But....he doesn't eat them anymore, thank goodness

[Julie, Boomer, Milo & Casey]

How old was he when he stopped eating socks? My 20mo has had this problem since we brought him home at 8 weeks. We have gates throughout the house so he doesn't have access to the laundry room or kids' rooms. However, with 2 young kids and a very sneaky dood, he got one this weekend. I found half of it on the ground (not swallowed yet). I'm surprised he actually chewed it in half - all others have come up whole. I truly thought after 6+ months of no sock eating, he would have outgrown it by now. This weekend proved to me that he still does it - if given the chance. I know he didn't eat socks for a long time because he was blocked from all rooms but obviously if given the chance, he will still do it. Its disheartening.

We've tried different training approaches. I can fold laundry in front of him and he won't go for the socks. I've baited him by placing socks on the ground and sprayed with bitter apple. He'll pick one up and immediately spit it out because of the taste. But without that bitter apple on them and using them as bait for training, he would go after any socks he could get his mouth on.

The second half of the one he ate this weekend hasn't come up yet (or out...) and he seems to be acting fine and eating too. It scares me to think of what can happen if he doesn't vomit soon.

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

probably about a year old...every once in a great while he will chew the toe or heel off. I am sure the enzymes in his stomach are breaking it down and you won't see the actual sock. As long as he is acting ok, I wouldn't worry.

I've been trying to come up with an idea as to how to make a coat or crown out of socks for Lucca for Halloween.... he is the Sock King:)

[Cathy and Luxie]

Thanks for everyone's well wishes. Luxie seems to feel a little better this morning, but now the itching is driving her crazy. At least she ate this morning, which is big progress!

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Poor Lexie :-( I hope she feels better and you can somehow prevent the sock eating - these doodles are smart and sneaky things!

[Donna K & Quincy]

Feel better soon Luxie, and Cathy if you find a way to keep her from stealing socks you will have the undying gratitude of everyone on this site and then some.

[Lesley, Wellington & Bingley]

Poor Luxie - and poor you! I can understand exactly the despair you might feel - Welly is a sock eater, a knicker eater and a handkercheif eater! The good news is that he appears to be growing out of his habit. He's 2 and a half now, and hasn't eaten anything sockish (that we know of) for a long time. He was at his worst at 9 months to a year.

We have been lucky that the items have always come out one way or another!

I tried sock aversion training with him! Basically rattled a tin of pebbles (which he's terrified of) when he approached a sock. Then hid and left a sock out and did the same if he approached it. The unfortunate thing is that this only worked if I was around - he would still eat a sock if he found it and was unsupervised.

I the tried to lessen the value of these items if he picked them up. I got some extra large socks (huge - that he couldn't swallow and just left them around (when I was there). If he picked one up I would ignore him (as opposed to panicing and running after him). But if he picked up one of his toys I would pay attention to him and play with him. This told him sock = no attention. Toy = attention and possibly a game! The next step is to leave around smaller socks (and knickers) and so they lose their value. I know it sounds crazy but it really works.

Luckily he appears to have just lost the urge to eat them!

I hope that Luxie grows out of her habit too x