When do you think it's time? :(

Sounds like it's not time yet...

Has your vet X-ray'd him to see what's going on with his hind legs? Have you tried acupuncture? I had one of our previous Shelties on Adequan shots for arthritis and it seemed to help her for quite a while.

I know your heart must ache seeing him having trouble standing. One of our larger Shelties got to about 13 and had trouble negotiating stairs. I had to stand behind him in case he slipped, which happened a lot toward the end.

Best of luck with your little guy.
 
For your dog, it's great that you are doing glucosamine but your dog may need a little something more. I would suggest talking to your vet about putting him on Rimadyl or something similar long-term. It really helps my other older sheltie (he's 13) who has arthritis in his back and hips. I can tell the difference if I forget a dose or run out and he misses a day or so. I think it's worth giving that a shot first.

And if you are still not sure if it's time, then it probably isn't. You know your beloved pet better than anyone else, and believe me you will know without a doubt. You just have to be objective in your decision.

After making the decision to put my first horse down, I never again worry about knowing when it's time. If you are close to an animal, you just know, and there is no doubt in your mind. My first horse was the first animal that I had to make a decision about. He had been blind for the last few years of his life but had adapted very well. Then one fall he colicked, something he had never done in the 18 years that I owned him. And he started going downhill rapidly after that. I had him PTS before the harsh winter set in - I knew in my heart that he had lost interest in life and it was time.

I lost my dear Murphy dog just before Christmas last year. He was 16 1/2. He had been declining over the past year very slowly, then he started with symptoms of Canine Cognitive disorder and they rapidly worsened. I kept him in my downstairs powder room with a gate up while I was away from home and at work (to keep him safe), and he managed to get himself stuck behind the tiolet in spite of me blocking the area off. It looked like he had been there for a period of time and he had pooped himself. I knew that it was time as I couldn't do anything more to keep him safe than I was doing. He also had been loosing his appetite slowly. So I cleaned him up and then called the vet to make the appt. I miss him still.
 
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