Dogs are man's ultimate animal best friend. They are known for their loyalty to their owners and their cheerful and protective attitudes. Unfortunately, these animals also have their shortcomings and one of these is their uncanny ability to gobble up almost anything.

Vince, a 4-year old mixed breed, got into trouble because of this very thing. On Saturday, his owners brought him to the Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center (VSEC) in Philadelphia because of his odd choice for a heavy meal. He ate a pair of calf-high boots on Friday afternoon.

VSEC officials said that because the women's Frye boots that Vince ate were so large, the dog was not able to pass the material into his small intestine. The dog's situation required that he undergo a surgery so he could recover.

Laura Tseng, from VSEC, said that the amount of foreign material that the dog ate has caused a serious health problem.

"These X-rays are absolutely remarkable, especially given that you can see and count the number of eyelets on the boots," said Tseng. "The sheer volume of what he ate is impressive and caused a very serious emergency situation."  

A VSEC spokesman that Vince's surgery was successful and he may be able to go home from the center on Sunday.

Dogs tend to eat all sorts of things and this often causes a problem because inedible materials obstruct their digestive tract and perforate their intestines, which in turn can lead to death if not addressed so surgery or endoscopy may be needed when this happens.

Pet owners may not catch their dogs red-handed when they eat things that are not supposed to be eaten but health officials noted of certain symptoms to watch out for.

If a dog starts to lose his appetite, is lethargic and frequently vomits, these could be signs that there are foreign materials in the animal's body.  Tseng advised that pet owners should see a veterinarian the soonest time possible when they observe these symptoms.

Last year, the owners of a 3-year-old Great Dane in Portland brought their pet to the DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital in northwest Portland after it repeatedly vomited and retched all day. When the veterinarians looked at the dog's abdominal radiographs, they were surprised to find a large number of foreign materials. It turned out that the dog has gobbled up 43 and 1/2 socks.