A DISTRAUGHT pet owner faces having to put her beloved dog to sleep if she can't raise £5,000 to pay for an intricate operation to save him. 

Melissa Campopiano says the health condition of her much-loved lurcher Echo is a 'ticking time bomb' as he endures excruciating pain. 

Echo recently spent four nights in a veterinary hospital in Glasgow after it was discovered he has two slipped discs which are protruding so badly that they're impinging on the spinal cord. 

The seven-year-old adored family pet is covered by insurance, but his medical treatment so far has amounted to more than he is insured for. 

Echo has been on a cocktail of medication to control the condition, but Melissa says she's been told by medics that the pain will inevitably return. 

She says that if she can't raise the money for the surgery, Echo will have to be euthanised. 

Melissa, 26, added: "I couldn't live with myself if I had him put to sleep and I didn't try to raise the money. 

"I hate having to ask people as I know it's difficult for everyone at the moment. 

"He's insured but it doesn't renew again until October and we don't have that long.

"I don't really want to wait until he dips again to make the decision, so it's a race against time."

Greenock Telegraph:
Melissa, who lives in Gourock, says Echo started to 'go downhill' a couple of weeks ago. 

She said: "He struggles with a ruptured cruciate in one leg and and fractured patella on the other leg which causes lumbosacral pain but he's been dealing with that for years.

"He has regular acupuncture and physiotherapy.

"A couple of weeks ago he started screaming out in pain, just out of the blue. It took me two hours to get him up onto his feet. I knew it was something much bigger than his usual wee niggles."

Melissa rushed Echo to a local vet and they gave him an injection of methadone and ketamine to control the pain.

As the medication began to wear off, Echo started howling with pain, so Melissa decided to take him to a veterinary hospital in Glasgow. 

Medics gave him X-rays, an MRI scan and blood tests, and he spent five days on a methadone infusion. 

Echo is home now and on steroids but Melissa knows it's only a matter of time before her beloved boy starts to feel pain again. 

She is meeting with Echo's neurologist on Monday to discuss next steps. 

She said: "There are two operations he could get on his back and spine, and one of them is much more accurate than the other. 

"It's great to have him home and the steroids are helping to lessen the swelling and give the discs more room to move around.

"I know that won't last though."

To manage Echo's condition, Melissa has invested in special stairs, a custom harness and a sling to help him get around. 

Greenock Telegraph:
The devoted dog owner said seeing people donate to the fundraiser has given her some hope. 

To raise more money, she's planning to climb Ben Nevis next month carrying a 30kg sandbag which weighs the same as Echo and is more than half her bodyweight. 

Melissa wants to do everything possible to give Echo the best chance of living a full and happy life again. 

She told the Tele: "He's been with me every day since I was 18, when I got him as a tiny wee puppy. 

"The only time he's been away from me was the four nights in hospital. 

"He is a typical lurcher, he runs about everywhere and just loves everyone he meets. 

"He has the sweetest nature and carries his wee soft toys around everywhere. 

"He's a really gentle, happy boy and is great with my son, Killian. 

"I'm determined to do all I can to raise the money."

To donate to the appeal for Echo online visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Melissa-campopiano-EchosFund