ALFIE the pug felt like he’d had a bellyful after he swallowed half a pound of stones and had to have an emergency operation.

THE five-month-old pooch tucked into pea shingle during an afternoon roaming around the garden of the family home at Sidney Gardens, Throop.

Owner Nicola Loizides, 43, realised something was wrong when she picked him up and realised he was “substantially heavier” than at the start of the afternoon.

The family rushed Harrods-bought Alfie to Aniwell Veterinary Clinic at Kinson where he underwent an operation to remove the pea shingle.

Mum-of-two Nicola said: “We thought he was just enjoying himself in the garden but over two hours he’d consumed 250 grams of pea shingle. We couldn’t believe it when we picked him up. You could hear the pea shingle. He was like a little beanie baby.

“From the x-rays the vet showed us there was no room left in his stomach.

“He’s fine now and in good spirits. He is normally as good as gold although he is like a mini-Hoover. He’s eaten strawberries in the garden before but nothing like that.”

Vet Mark Collins, said: “He is only a four kilo (8.8 lb) dog so it was a massive amount. There were two vets operating for over an hour.

“This morning he was running around as if nothing had happened. You would expect it from labradors or springer spaniels but pugs are normally a bit more sensible.”