Chesterfield couple face £7,000 bill for hip replacement to save beloved Labrador puppy’s life

Michelle and Mark Wilson’s 10-month-old “goofy” pooch Indie is in constant pain with the debilitating condition – going from “bounding madly around” to pottering around the garden and retiring to her basket within minutes.

The pair bought her aged eight weeks, not suspecting that the lovable canine had the hereditary condition.

Care worker Michelle, 42, says the affliction emerged last month when Indie was noticeably lame on her left hip one morning and it quickly worsened to the point where the pup could no longer be walked and was in “a lot of pain”.

Emergency vets prescribed powerful anti-inflammatory drug Metacam, breaking the news that surgery would be needed for the hip at a cost of around £7,000. Without it, the couple have been told, Indie will have to be put to sleep to ease her suffering.

Michelle said: “In the last month or so we’ve noticed a huge difference. She’s gone from bounding madly around everywhere like a puppy to pottering around the garden and going back in after about two minutes.

“She’s very quiet and we can’t walk her. She just spends a lot of time in her bed, clearly in pain. It’s absolutely heart-wrenching, I cried myself to sleep last night because I know there’s nothing we can do for her.”

Michelle and Mark pay just over £10 a month for their pet insurance, however it only Indie covers for up to £2,000 a year per condition.

The couple are not eligible for loans as Matt, a former warehouse manager, has suffered four mini-strokes and Michelle is a lifelong sufferer of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome affecting connective tissue, expereincing constantly dislocating joints. As a result the couple are reliant on Michelle’s part-time income.

"We just feel awful that we can’t do anything for her and she may have to be put to sleep,” said Michelle.

She added: “Supplements and hydrotherapy just aren’t an option – she’s in too much pain. Amputation is not an option as the feeling is that her right hip joint would not cope with the extra pressure.

"When we took out insurance we weren’t quite aware of how much vets fees have increased so we thought £2,000 would be adequate cover. But then when we found out about this and we were looking at £7,000 it was mind-blowing, I couldn’t believe how much things cost.

“I wish we’d gone with a more robust policy and spent another £10 – it would have taken so much pressure off. We’re all struggling and have added pressure from bills rising but I would urge anyone if they afford that extra £10 a month just to do it.”

Describing Indie, Michelle said: “She’s daft, silly and clumsy, she’s ridiculously loyal, she’s literally carried me through this year.

"My husband’s had four mini-strokes since January and been in resuscitation. I’ve had lots of physical health and personal problems and have had to quit my job that I absolutely loved.

“And she’s literally carried me through, she’s been my emotional blanket. She’s quiet when you need her to be quiet and you just want to sit there and have a cuddle.

“But if you want to play, she’ll play all day – she is the epitomy of a perfect dog. She always seems to know what to do. If you’re upset she knows and nuzzles her head into your shoulder. She’s really goofy and will lay on her back with her legs in the air.”

Michelle and Mark have started a fundraising campaign to help cover the cost of the £7,000 surgery bill and save Indie’s life. Anyone wishing to donate can do so HERE.