This is breaking my heart. My 'old' german shepherd cross dog is 13 and very, very dear to me. He went to the veterinarian's yesterday and after I insisted on two blood tests to make sure it was okay, put under anesthetic to have his teeth cleaned, x-rays done and a cyst removed.
Although my dog has arthritis, the veterinarian said my dog is doing 'fabulous'. He doesn't go so far anymore, but he loves his walks and certainly loves his family he lives with.
My parents, years ago, adopted a senior golden retriever with health problems from the Vancouver pound. That dog lived like royalty until he developed cancer 5 years later. 5 years the dog lived with my parents, with walks and daily affection.
Senior dogs can be a real treat!!!