We had to make the decision this week to put our 16 year old lab mix to sleep. It's devastated me. My Dad was her person when it was storming outside, mine the rest of the time. Anytime I went to my parent's house, she was always there & ready for me to love her. I've known her since she was born. A friend & I rescued her mama & they kept her. She got pregnant by their other dog so I got to pick 1 of the puppies. She loved car rides, running, swimming & playing frisbee. She was the best, so smart & chill. Over the past year, she became deaf & started barking more randomly. The vet told us it was probably a form of doggy dementia. We treated her for that & otherwise she was in great health. She always had great fur but a few months ago we noticed it started to get extremely dry. Then her back legs began to give out on her. Finally she started pottying wherever she sat until we came to help her move. We talked to our vet as things progressed & having known our furbaby her entire life, she suggested we start thinking about her quality of life. Once her fur got so dry it started falling out, our vet said bed sores would form & be painful. We made the appointment twice & canceled it before keeping the third. A bed sore did form despite our efforts & we knew it was time. She had also lost a lot of weight. My head tells me it was time & she wasn't living her best life any more but my heart is so, very hurt. She hadn't been diagnosed with any terminal illness nor was she out of it mentally. She perked up in her last car ride & when we got into the room at the vet. It happened so quickly & she was gone. The vet was just as upset as we were, everyone that met her, loved her. She said it went smoothly & she passed peacefully. I couldn't leave the room even after it was over. I keep replaying the day in my head. I am just so sad. It sucks! If you've read this far, thanks for letting me vent. Here's a few pictures of my sweet girl.