Quality of life is when what you used to enjoy is no longer an option. Long
walks to no walks , playing ball to no interest, cuddling to aloofness.
Basically hurts too much to do what used to be fun. If your dog did these
things and slowly stopped with age than that's normal. As for the potty in
the house you may need to let her out more often and there is always the
puppy diapers, they help some. You can clip her bottom hair so that the
waste doesn't stick and you change her bottom instead of clean the carpet.
My parents dog made it to 22 years of age and he staid house broken up to
his last day.


"Paul" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have a 15 and half year old English Cocker Spaniel who is now getting
old and tired. During her life she has had little in the way of health
problems but over the last two years in particular has slowed down to a
point where she spends the majority of her time sleeping and only wanders
as far as the back garden. She now poo's and wee's in the house which we
have learned to cope with (Vax is very useful!) and will walk around in
circles and not be so interested in contact and been with us. Due to the
leaking if is often necessary to bath her once a day to avoid her smelling
too much, we intend to replace all the carpet once she is no longer with
us.

We can no longer leave her with friends/neighbors for the day and it would
now be difficult for us to take her away in the caravan so this year we
have made no plans to go anywhere as we need to stay with her.

I will be devastated when she finally goes, she is my first and only dog
and has been a real friend to me and I will find it so difficult if I have
to make a decision at some point to have her put down.

I guess what I am asking here is am I doing the right thing at the moment,
I do not know what her quality of life is and I suppose I just want to
think its ok and let things carry on for now. It's easy for me to get
emotional over this and a number of years ago I found this poem which I
have kept the link to that brings tears to my eyes every time I look at it
http://www.la-spca.org/pet_loss/comfort/last_battle.htm

I happen to be a 43 year old bloke with a wife and two young children but
when my dog is finally put to rest it is going to be very difficult.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Paul