03/09/2026
Romeo, a 4-month-old Cane Corso puppy, came to Red Bank Veterinary Hospital – Hillsborough’s Emergency Room after eating rocks and vomiting. While Romeo had passed rocks before, his owner knew something felt different this time.
When he arrived, Romeo was quiet and had an elevated heart rate. Abdominal radiographs revealed two rocks, one still in his stomach and another causing an obstruction in his small intestine.
Romeo was taken to surgery with our board-certified surgeon, Dr. Lindsay Nussbaum, where he underwent both a gastrotomy (to remove the rock from his stomach) and an enterotomy (to remove the obstruction in his intestine).
We’re happy to share that Romeo recovered beautifully and is back to being a playful puppy — hopefully leaving the rocks behind for good!
Puppies explore the world with their mouths, but ingesting foreign objects can quickly become life-threatening. If your pet is vomiting, lethargic, or not acting like themselves, don’t wait, seek veterinary care right away!
Great job to Romeo’s owner for trusting their instincts and acting quickly. 💙