A WOMAN is desperately seeking funds to help save her beloved pet dog.

Jennifer Le Roux has set up a page on online fundraising platform JustGiving in the hope of getting the £3,500 necessary to find out what is wrong with nine-year-old Roxie, who is a cavalier bichon mix, also known as a cavachon.

Roxie’s condition means that she has suffered from a range of problems, including sudden blindness, heart murmurs, bursting skin cysts, breathing problems and potential bacterial pneumonia.

Yet in the face of this she remains spritely and determined to fight, says Ms Le Roux, who lives in Church Road, Shoreham.

She said: “In between her infection Roxie has been a very happy girl and every day – even when she is ill – most of the time she wags, cuddles and every now and then shares her version of a laugh.”

Despite paying for pet insurance, Ms Le Roux has already had to fork out about £4,000 for Roxie’s medical bills, with a further £3,500 required to get a diagnosis.

Due to having a non-lifetime policy, Roxie is excluded for treatment related to the heart and eyes.

Ms Le Roux, 37, is almost six months pregnant and struggling to find money to spare for her first child.

She said: “In the last year we have spent in the region of £4,000 and unfortunately, while we could afford some blood tests, eye tests, heart scans along the way – most of this is going on dealing with the symptoms.”

Alongside the crowdfunding page, Brighton Digital Women, a community of people who meet once a month to share ideas, is on board with helping to raise the much-needed funds.

As a breed, Cavachons are generally just as healthy as any other dog, says Linda Pollock, administrator for the Cavachons UK group, who have also been helping to raise money.

She said: “They need the extra grooming because of their coats. Being half Bichon breed they don’t drop their hair, but this doesn’t affect their health. All in all, I think the Cavachon is a healthy bred dog.”

Ms Le Roux, who lives with her boyfriend Josh Humphrey, added: “If we get the diagnosis that she’s going to have a very unpleasant end then we can make that decision, but I’m not going to guess.

“Every single thing that she’s had, she’s made a full turnaround.”

Ms le Roux has had Roxie since she was a small puppy.

During this time Ms Le Roux has endured a marriage

separation, returned to university at 30 and is now preparing to become a mother for the first time.

She said that throughout, “Roxie has been the one consistent thing in my life. She’s always been there for me”.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/roxie-cavachon-treatments