[quasi]

I have a dog that is just shy of 14 years old, he's been sick for a while now. He had some cancerous tumors removed about 2 1/2 years ago but they didn't get it all, they said I'd be lucky if he made it a year. His hips are bad, he has trouble walking more then a few blocks and I have to carry him up stairs.

I've been struggling internally with when is the right time to let him go? I don't want him to suffer but if he's still happy and relatively pain free I have no problem catering to the extra care required. I asked the vet last time we were in how do I know when it's time? He said no two pets are the same but he told me some signs I could look for.

The last couple days those signs appeared, he's not eating much he's very lethargic he barely wants to drink. He's not normal, I show him his leash and for the first time ever he just laid down with no interest in going out. Today he's spent the entire day in the corner of my back yard on the gravel which again isn't normal, he never lays there. As much as it crushes me I think those huge fears I had of missing the sign are gone, he's telling me what I don't want to hear. My son is so close to him, he's been around since he was born I don't know even know what to say to him. As much as I'm heartbroken just thinking about what I have to do it hurts me more that it's going to crush him.

So unless something drastic changes in the next 18 hours I think tomorrow I'm going to have to do what I've been dreading for a long time and that's let him go and be at peace. Old man I hope I have the strength to do what's right, you've always been there for me I have to be there for you.