Eastbourne dog owner 'traumatised' after pet inhales rock

Owner Ioana Tamas was left 'traumatised' when her four-year-old dog, Rocky, started coughing and struggling to breathe.

Ms Tamas, who lives in Eastbourne, said: "Rocky likes to play with rocks and one day when he was chasing one, he inhaled it. He was struggling to breathe and we were so worried.

"He had never done anything like that before and it was a traumatising experience."

Rocky was taken to Linnaeus-owned Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Winchester, where vet Victoria Neale, a resident in small animal internal medicine, found and removed the stone.

Rocky's x-ray (Image: Supplied)

Ms Neale said: "Rocky was seen to ingest a stone the day before we saw him, which had led to ongoing coughing and retching. It was successfully retrieved and Rocky was discharged with a course of anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers."

The stone was found in the left bronchus, the tube leading into the lung, after a camera was used to search for it.

Rocky and the retrieved rock (Image: Supplied)

Ms Tamas said her pet is now back to full health.

However, Rocky has been banned from playing with rocks.

She said: "Rocky is much better and back to his normal self, although we are not letting him play with rocks anymore. Anderson Moores have been the best and so kind, helpful and friendly towards us and Rocky, we can’t thank them enough."

Anderson Moores in Winchester is Linnaeus-owned, a community of more than 50 primary care and 17 referral veterinary practices based in the UK and Ireland.