A TV supervet is the last hope for a beloved border collie suffering from swollen discs in her back.

Sandra and Terry Bristow are appealing for help to save family pet Meg, who struggles to keep her balance due to her condition.

They are hoping to collect £8,000 to cover the cost of an operation by Dr Noel Fitzpatrick, star of Channel 4’s The Supervet.

Meg was rescued by the RSPCA after being abandoned in a poor condition and joined the Bristow family over three years ago.

“She is such a loving, gentle dog and has had her fair share of bad luck,” said Sandra.

“To have to lose her, because the only other option would be to have her put to sleep, just because we were not able to help her through a lack of funding would break our hearts.

“Apart from being abandoned, she also has had to have treatment on a cruciate ligament that went in February 2015.

“This luckily was treated through pet insurance but last year we thought we had truly lost her when she developed pancreatitis, our vets worked hard to save her.”

The retired couple, who live near Egremont, adopted Meg in October 2013 from an RSPCA rescue centre near Kendal after she was found walking the streets in a terrible condition.

Since then, she has enjoyed her time with the Bristows, especially running along the beach at St Bees and playing with the couple’s grandchildren.

But now her intervertebral disc disease diagnosis means she has four swollen discs in her back pressing on her spine, causing her to trip and fall over regularly.

The family’s pet insurance has been reduced by previous vet visits leaving them with about £2,000 towards an estimated £10,000 operation.

Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick, runs a private referral clinic as well as starring on a Channel 4 show.

“He has a referral clinic, so we’ve asked our own vet to write to him,” said Sandra. “If Noel Fitzpatrick can’t do it then there is only one other option, and I’m not talking about that. I’ve got everything crossed.”

Donate at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sandra-bristow