Lewis Hamilton issues worrying update on dog Roscoe and asks for 'thoughts and prayers'

Lewis Hamilton asked for the "thoughts and prayers" of fans as he shared a concerning health update about his cherished bulldog Roscoe. The seven-time Formula 1 champion revealed he had experienced "scary few hours" on Wednesday as he posted a photograph of his poorly pooch.

Roscoe could be seen bundled up in blankets and inside a pod with transparent plastic windows at what appeared to be a veterinary clinic. Stuck to the wall of the pod were pictures of his motorsport legend owner Hamilton, who had clearly been rattled by the day's events.

"It's been a scary few hours," the Brit posted. "Everyone please keep Roscoe in your thoughts and prayers." Roscoe is approximately 13 years old and has spent nearly his entire life as a devoted companion to Hamilton, 40, who took in the bulldog in 2013.

Naturally, the F1 star spends much of his time travelling, taking part in 24 races per year. So Roscoe is, for most of the time, cared for by trainer Kirstin McMillan, who disclosed in April this year that the dog had been battling pneumonia.

"Roscoe, because I know you are going to ask, he is going to his vet today," she posted. "This is a vet that practices veterinary medicine where she combines Eastern and Western, that's an integrative pet practice.

"So she's a real vet, she went to Davis and everything, but she went for a few years of additional training in holistic methods, Chinese medicine, acupuncture and things like that. What she is going to do with him today is a high-dose Vitamin C IV drop and this is supportive care. This is in addition to the strong antibiotics that he is correctly on for his pneumonia."

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Shortly after that update, Hamilton revealed to journalists at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May that his beloved pooch had bounced back. The racing star said in Imola: "He's 12-and-a-half years old so he's an old boy. He had pneumonia, but he's fine now.

"But definitely this is a time where every time I get a text message from the lady who's looking after him, my heart stops for a second. You know, what's next?". I really want to try and bring him to Silverstone [in July] and take him to Monza [in September] and cheer him up."

Roscoe did indeed turn up at the British Grand Prix and was seen being walked around the paddock by Hamilton, though the bulldog was nowhere to be found at the Italian Grand Prix held at Monza earlier this month.

It's unclear what's troubling Roscoe this time around, but he has lived a remarkably long life for his breed. Bulldogs typically live between eight and 10 years, although not every bulldog enjoys the kind of luxurious lifestyle that Hamilton provides for his cherished companion.