London - Plenty of us like bringing stones home from a trip to the beach.
But springer spaniel Dilyn got a little carried away and brought back 206 pebbles – in his stomach.
The 12-year-old – who had never shown an interest in swallowing stones before – was rushed to the vet for emergency surgery when he appeared ill after his walk.
Vet Amy O’Regan spent nearly three hours painstakingly removing the pebbles. Dilyn has now made a "miraculous and very speedy recovery". Hugh Williams, a partner at Williams Vets in Tywyn, West Wales, believes the huge total of swallowed stones is "unlikely to have been seen by any vet in the UK before".
He said: "We’ve had dogs swallowing stones before but usually one or two, three at a push – 206 is unheard of.
"You’d think as a 12-year-old he’d know better. We really thought the worst when we saw the X-ray – how are we going to get all these out? How much damage has already been done?
"But we’re delighted he’s made a full recovery. He’s really very lucky to be alive."
Dilyn’s unnamed owners had been walking him on the beach in Barmouth when the spaniel gulped down the stones. It is unclear what led him to do so.
They have now dubbed their beloved pet The Terminator.