An Instagram-famous dog from Southampton has been diagnosed with a condition set to cost his owners more than £10,000.

Miniature dachshund Marco, aged six years and three months, delights his 75,000 followers of the @marcominiaturedachshund account.

He rose to fame during the pandemic when his owner, Amber Bailey, 28, decided his cheeky and playful character was worth being given the spotlight.

READ MORE: Six dogs from a Southampton animal shelter in need of a home

But recently, she was shocked to discover he has a genetic disease - even more so when she discovered her pet insurance would not fully cover the costs.

She said: “We are covered by insurance for up to £7500 – but that does not include the rehabilitation, medication and recovery that is likely to cost £3500.

“That’s why we are raising funds for Marco with any additional money going to the Dedicated to Dachshunds with IVDD charity."

Amber brought the cheeky dachshund in September of 2017 from a breeder in Cosham and said that he had a huge personality.

Daily Echo: Amber Bailey and her dachshund MarcoAmber Bailey and her dachshund Marco (Image: Submitted)Amber said: “People would always say to me, you should put him on social media - so I thought I would give it a go, but didn’t want people getting annoyed at me posting on my personal account.  

“So, I decided to make him an account where I posted a few cute pictures and videos. It was only during lock down that it really began to take off.

“Posts of him and my late grandfather playing together in his care home went down really well – I think people love having a small bit of Marco in their day.

“We did our usual post of Marco being his playful self and it got five million views. Three years on he has 75,000 followers."

On November 16, Amber noticed Marco hunching over and walking slower than usual to get a treat.

She continued: “I knew in my gut something wasn’t right – he was not doing his normal tricks when I waved him a treat.”

After taking him to the emergency vets, she was told Marco had stage two intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) and they kept him in overnight to run more tests.

IVDD is a genetic disease that causes dogs such as dachshunds to suffer a slipped spinal disk. One in four of the breed suffer from the disease.

The mental heath nurse added: “I was beside myself. The vets told us that the treatment could cost between £7000 and £9000 grand."

Amber also wants to raise awareness about the pitfalls of pet insurance: "I will say this – go through it with a fine tooth comb and know exactly what is and isn’t covered.”

To donate, search Marco’s IVDD Surgery and Recovery on GoFundMe.