Well, Ralph the Dog is still very much with us. I took him to the vet a couple of weeks ago and we had a very candid conversation.
He listened to me describe the past year with Ralph, much of which I related in my last post here.
He looked at me with a compassionate look and said, "You know there's not a lot I can do for a 15-year-old dog to make him better."
I assured him I knew that and that I needed the wisdom of his years of his taking care of animals. He told me he felt that we have an obligation at some point to help our furry friends along when their quality of life has greatly deteriorated.
On the other hand, he told me that I know Ralph and I'll know when that time comes.
That's what a lot of you told me after my last post and I appreciate your words.
The fact is I'm not there yet. I've discussed it with everyone in the family and everyone agrees and understands.
So for now, Ralph continues with his life of mostly eating and sleeping. He still wags his tail at the door in the mornings when I get his leash and on some mornings he still jumps. That's definitely the high point of his day and the time when he has the most energy.
I told the doc I thought it would be relatively soon and he said to just let him know. He said he would ask me to bring him in toward the end of the day when things are quiet. Again, he said he felt I would know.
And I'll trust the process.