A Michigan police dog required surgery after swallowing several landscaping stones while eating scraps soaked in gravy from his handler, according to reports.
Rocco, a K-9 with the Grand Rapids Police Department, encountered the unusual meal after his handler poured “crock pot juice” across his deck, News Channel 3 reported.
“I made some old beef sandwiches in a crock pot,” Rocco’s handler, Austin Diekevers, told the outlet. “We usually feed the scraps to our chickens, so I threw them over my deck. Some of the crock pot juice landed on my landscaping rocks.”
In the brief time Diekevers spent putting away the crock pot, Rocco devoured the leftovers — and swallowed several rocks coated with the savory drippings.
“I could see that he was trying to chew the rocks,” Diekevers said. “I immediately called the vet. They weren’t too concerned as long as he was having normal bowel movements and continuing to eat and drink.”
However, Diekevers grew alarmed the following day when Rocco’s appetite began to fade.
“I got a little concerned and felt his stomach, and I could actually hear the rocks inside,” he said. “That’s when I realized there were more than I initially thought.”
Rocco was taken to a nearby animal hospital, where an X-ray confirmed that his stomach contained a collection of rocks.
The police dog needed an operation to remove the stones, marking his second serious hospital emergency of the year, according to the report.
In April, Rocco nearly bled to death after accidentally impaling himself on a fire pit, his handler said.
“The animal hospital actually saved his life in April,” Diekevers said. “I’m very grateful for the animal hospital and its staff. Those people are absolutely fantastic.”
Rocco is recovering and could be back on duty within a week or so.
“He’s still under some restrictions while the incision and everything else heals, but he’s back to his normal, happy, very high-energy self.”
