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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We have a 14 year-old dog who has had worsening arthritis for a few years now. She is unable to take anti-inflammatory drugs due to potential liver issues. I also tried laser therapy which did not help. We have her on two different medications but she still seems to have trouble walking or getting up from her bed. Recently, my kids found her whining because she had slipped and couldn't get up from the floor.  She can still do a few a few steps back inside the house but she usually requires assistance and is very unstable. She is has been having accidents (BM) inside the house because I think that she can no longer sense that she needs to go. She stopped eating but we started mixing boiled chicken back in her food and her appetite is better. She can't go on much of a walk anymore. She has trouble digesting treats so we can't give them anymore. She has good days and bad days but mostly a lot of just okay days. We worry now about leaving her alone and her getting stuck on the floor. After doing some reading online, I'm thinking that maybe it is time to let her go. I'd rather do it now in the comfort of her home than wait until it becomes and emergency situation but I am really struggling with this. All of my other dogs had medical issues where it was very obvious that they needed to be put down. Has anyone been in this situation? [/quote]

I'm sorry, OP.  I've been there and it's so hard -- especially when it's not as clear cut as the vet saying "there's cancer spread throughout his body, he's in pain, you should let him go."  I went through this with my 16-year-old beloved dog and spent days, maybe weeks, ahead of time beating myself up about it thinking "how can I do this?  How can I basically tell them to kill him?  How do I know if he could have had more life?" and waiting for him to "tell me" or "give me a sign" that he was ready, which didn't really come.

In the end, my love for him won out over my heartbreak.  I cried a LOT.  But after it was done, I didn't feel guilty, or blame myself, or think "what have I done?" the way I'd feared I would.  I felt relief, for me and for him.  Staying with them at the end with a loving hand on them is the most loving act you can do.  I wish I had not waited so long, which I know I did for me and not for him.  When my sister was facing the same situation and asking herself the same questions, I told her my experience and ultimately she had the same experience too -- sadness, love and relief.

I know it feels counterintuitive, but it's the final act of love you can do for your best friend -- to refuse to let her suffer.  Be strong.  Thinking of you.

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