got a SERIOUS question for you gang.

[bamabassman]

ok, everyone here knows of our family pet KING GALLAHAD II. now as most of you know, he is 13 plus yrs old. he has arthuritis in his rear end and back legs. he hurts mostly at night. small (very small) whimpering about 3-4 nights out of 7. he still has that sparkle in his eye now. but he doesn't run for obvious reasons, and doesn't eat everyday. maybe once one day and 3 times the next. we have to help him get up and lay down everytime he wants to do either. when i get him up, i massage his rear haunches before i let him start walking around. after he walks around a bit he seems to loosen up some and is ok. that is till he takes a mis step and falls on occasion. he goes to the doctor often for check ups and the vet says it isn't yet time. but i wonder........when do you know it is time? is it when it is so aggravating to YOU to constantly help him up and down. or what?

we got him when he was 5 weeks old (vet said it was ok). i raised and trained him myself. we have been on so many adventures together. ya'll have seen him in my boat with us fishing. he loves to "GO". we had 10 acres in south bama. and he and i would walk around the field every day when i got home from work. then we would lay on the bed for a little nap afterwards. he would chase rabbits, deer and round up the horses every day. all i would have to say was "round em up gallie", and he would go out and bark at them till they ran to the barn each evening. it was awesum to watch him chase them to the barn, then prance afterwards thinking he was top dog.

i a sorry gang.this is so hard for me ok? as a friend has stated before, this has been the hardest year i can remember EVER having in my life. things have gone from bad to worse to horrible. this is also killing lisa as well. she has to deal with gallie all day, every day . while i am gone to work for 10 hrs a day, she is home with gallie. and it kills her to see him decline.
we have just been through so much over the last 2 years, this is the final cut so to speak. we have no children and this is our child. we had a female collie (sable and white) named PRISSY LADY before gallie. she was "daddies" girl. but gallie has been both of ours, together. he will mope when we eren't home. and cry for joy when we returned home. it made a tough day seem worth it to see him and lisa smiling at me when i got hme from work.

some folks will say it is "just a dog man, get another one". but it isn't like that. nofear understands i know. i felt really heartbroken about his beloved pet. sorry i can't remember how to spell his name bryce. but trust me when i say that i cried and held my buddy when i read the news of your pet man.

we aren't going to put him down just yet, but i know it won't be long. it will have to be done before the cold weather starts i think. i just hope i have the courage to do it. it is hard to do this gang. it really is.

i just wanted to vent a little ok? sorry if this sounds too cry baby of me. but this "dog" has been the best friend besides my wife that i have EVER had in my entire life. no matter how one feels, your pet understands and only wants to try to help you out. so go out today and hug your pet, pet it, talk to it and spend time with it.

i gotta go and spend some more with gallie. he is sleeping now, and i am just gonna lay beside him and pet on him.

thanks gang, i know ya'll understand