Cowcockie, very fair comments and I agree about not spending excessive amounts on an old dog.
And goblin, it was unfair of me to suggest you not get another dog. Sorry.
It's the vulnerability and helplessness of dogs that gets to me, their lack of choice, and absolute dependence on the love and kindness of their owners. But I do know most owners strike a reasonable balance between giving the dog proper care and going to extremes to prolong life.
I've seen people with Shepherds, once so noble and strong, scooting around pathetically by their front legs with the now useless hind quarters supported on a trolley. I'd rather allow that dog's life to be remembered with dignity and opt for euthanasia.
Thank you, cowcockie, for your kind wishes for my girl. I'm relieved that she's almost completely herself again. That said, she is just five years old, and I discovered when she started to limp occasionally at about 10 months, that she already had established elbow dysplasia in both elbows and the hips weren't great either. This after choosing a breeder who claimed perfect hip and elbow scores in the parents and who is one of Australia's most highly regarded.
So I went through a stage of feeling very resentful toward the breeder, before accepting that it is what it is, and it doesn't affect her happy, outgoing nature. She stays well and fit on three monthly injections of cartrophen, but in a few years it's inevitable that arthritis will limit her mobility and ultimately abbreviate her life.
