A couple unwittingly bought a dog from a puppy farm that developed severe health problems and racked up £16,000 in vet bills.

Businesswomen Hayley Whillier and Samantha Hutchinson bought puggle puppy Marley, now two, for £350 in October 2013.

Marley developed severe health problems, which vets told them was likely caused by being reared in a puppy farm.

Luckily the couple insured Marley, but have said how "emotionally crippling" it has been raising a puppy with chronic medical problems.

Hayley and Samantha, both 28 and from Nottingham, were keen to get another dog after their previous pet died while they were on holiday in Florida.

They found a couple selling 11-week-old pups and arranged a visit at their home, but Marley was the only puppy there.

For the first two weeks when they got Marley home, she was eating fine and "seemed like a normal little dog".

They were told that Marley had a condition affecting her oesophagus which meant she got food stuck in her throat, causing her to vomit.

Samantha and Hayley had to feed Marley pureed food via a tube eight times, day and night.

Hayley said: "Marley was very skinny and couldn’t put any weight on. The vets weren’t optimistic about her chances. It was devastating.”

Eventually, her condition stabilised. But, in August 2015, she fell ill again.

“It was heartbreaking,” Hayley said. “She fell from 10kg inweight, to just 6kg. Now we have to hold her up to feed her and all of her food has to be pureed. But she has got used to it.”

Marley has also been faced with other medical problems. She suffers from a problem with her womb and an autoimmune disease meant all of her nails rotted and fell off when she was young. She also had to have half of her tail amputated.

“The vets believe all of these problems stem from Marley’s start in life at a puppy farm,” Hayley said. “She’s such a lovely dog and it really gets me that people could do this to puppies.”

Luckily, for Hayley and Samantha, Marley was insured and all of the costs of her treatment - amounting to around £16,000 - have been covered by the firm.