re: OT'ers who have had to put an elderly pet down

Lost my 16 year old Lab almost a year ago. She was in pretty good shape until her last couple of months, but she was slowly declining. Her last 7 weeks I was by her side pretty much constantly (I work from home most of the time, so I could do that.) She always had a good appetite up to the end, and until the last day or two she liked to go for short walks. But she had bad arthritis, was in a lot of pain, and had dementia. I don't think she knew where she was a lot of the time, but she still liked to be petted.

I go back and forth over whether I waited too long. Maybe so, I loved her so much I just couldn't bear to do it. If so, I hope she will forgive me. Her death put me in a tailspin. for a few months. Her ashes are in a little wooden box with her name on it. They will be buried or cremated with me.