A DOG bit off more than he could chew when he wolfed down a rather unsavoury meal - a kilo of gravel.

The York family pet needed life-saving surgery after shocked vets discovered he had eaten the gravel, equivalent to the weight of a small watermelon.

Chip, a seven-year-old cocker spaniel, was taken to The Minster Veterinary Practice after his concerned owners, Fi Godfrey-Fausset and David Wheeler, saw him being sick and passing unusual objects.

They suspected that Chip may have ingested some gravel while lapping up butter he had stolen.

The poorly pooch was taken to Minster Vets’ main hospital in Salisbury Road, Holgate, where he was examined by clinical director Sarah Ford.

She said: “I examined Chip and could feel lots of small, hard objects in his stomach. He almost felt like a bean bag.

“We x-rayed his stomach, which revealed he was filled with gravel.

“I have never witnessed anything of this scale, so I was shocked, especially since Chip was still bright and chirpy.

“You would never think he had a kilo of gravel inside him.”

The vet’s main concern was that Chip was unable to eat or drink due to the blockage, and there was the potential danger of the gravel causing a perforation of the stomach, so the decision was made to operate.

Fi and David have had Chip since he was a puppy and were stunned at how much gravel he had managed to consume.

Fi said: “Chip is such an energetic dog and, although he was still bright, I knew he was not quite himself, as he had not been very excitable for a couple of days.

“When I came home from work to find him repeatedly vomiting, I contacted Minster Vets, who advised us to bring him into the practice and they examined him straight away.

"I still can’t quite believe what was found inside our poor pup.”

Hungry hound Chip has now made a full recovery and is back home with his family.

Fi said: “I would like to thank the team at Minster Vets as their expertise has saved our beloved chip from an uncomfortable and uncertain fare.

“They handled the situation calmly and professionally and Chip is now back to his sprightly self."

If you suspect that your dog has eaten something it shouldn’t, you should seek veterinary advice immediately.

Smaller items may pass through the digestive tract naturally, but large and sharp objects may cause more serious issues, as they did in Chip's case.

The signs that your dog may have eaten something it shouldn’t include:

* Gagging or vomiting, especially with food coming up undigested

* Changes in bowel movements

* A sudden loss of appetite

* A painful or swollen tummy

* Unexplained lethargy, including a lack of interest in play, snappiness and other behavioural changes