Dogs are well-known for eating virtually anything they come across, but this Springer spaniel took things a step further. His owners were enjoying their honeymoon in Barmouth when the pooch scoffed up more than 200 pebbles on the North Wales beach.
As reported by the Welsh newspaper, the Daily Post, it was only when the spaniel started vomiting the stones up that his shocked owners realised there was a problem and took him to the local Williams Veterinary Surgeons.
Dog has operation to remove 206 pebbles
The Springer spaniel goes by the name Dilyn and it turns out he was lucky to be alive after eating 0.4 stone (2.7 kg) of the pebbles on Barmouth beach during his owner’s honeymoon.
The pooch ended up with a stomach packed full of the stones and naturally didn't feel very well.
Springer spaniel swallows more than 200 pebbles and survives: https://t.co/krp6REyLSS
— Daily Post Wales (@dailypostwales) September 7, 2018
As reported by the BBC, when the 12-year-old dog began vomiting up the pebbles, the owners said they could literally see the stones from the outside of his body. An X-ray revealed that Dilyn’s stomach was choc-a-block with stones, while five of the pebbles had reached his intestine. The vet had to perform a lengthy operation to carefully remove the stones.
A Springer spaniel named Dilyn wolfed down 206 pebbles on a beach in North Wales. This is his x-ray and the pile of stones after his operation. The pooch is fine. 😍
— Anne King (@inthemedia1) September 8, 2018
Images: Williams Veterinary Surgery pic.twitter.com/eXwqmT6yxl
Amount of pebbles eaten by the dog is unheard of
The vet, Amy O’Regan, said the sheer amount of stones found in Dilyn’s stomach was totally “unheard of.” After putting the pooch under anaesthetic, O’Regan made an incision of about an inch and gradually took all the pebbles out.
When they counted them, the total was 206 stones. O’Regan said dogs do commonly swallow the occasional stone or two when trying to chew them, but this particular case totally amazed her. She said they don’t know why Dilyn did it, but possibly there was something of interest on the stones.
O’Regan added that thankfully, Dilyn made it through the operation and is in good health, adding that the pooch is now known as "The Terminator."
Other pebble-related news
It turns out it is a good job Dilyn’s owners didn’t take him to Crackington Haven beach in Cornwall for their honeymoon.
A holidaymaker who took a bag of pebbles home with him as a souvenir was threatened with a £1,000 fine if he didn’t return them to the beach. In that case, the man had to drive hundreds of miles from home to return the pebbles to their rightful place. The reasoning behind the fine is that removing stones can lead to a flood hazard in bad weather.
It is unknown how many pebbles were involved in that story, but imagine if they had threatened to fine Dilyn for his pebble feast?