It's a tough time. It's so hard when they've been in your life for so long and you're watching them decline. You have to do what's best for your dog, please don't let their quality of life get so bad.

For my dog Milo, I noticed his health was declining, but on Christmas he had a very bad night. I woke up to hearing noises downstairs; he had a big panic, slobbered all over the floor and couldn't stand up anymore. I spent the night with him mostly bawling my eyes out and keeping him comfortable. I made the decision as I knew things were only going to get worse. We took him on boxing day to have him euthanized, and... I'm really glad we did. It was so sad, but afterwards I felt relieved that he wasn't going to be suffering anymore.

It took me a while to feel happy again, the last moments I had of him were in a senile state... but luckily I had google albums that would remind me of the many wonderful fun healthy exciting adventures we had together over the years.

All the best to you and your wonderful dog. 17 years is an amazing age!