I adopted a now nearly 17 year old lab 4 and a half years ago from a family member. He has always been the family dog!
At this time he had mild CCD (dementia), mild cataracts and dodgy back legs but he perked up with the younger dog I have being around and loved life for a good clear 4 years. Numerous ups and downs but mostly ups!
He still has light in his eyes, but he is now developing incontinence. The cataracts are worse, he can't hear, the CCD is worse (moderate not severe) and his back legs less mobile, with one of the front legs also giving up. He gets lost on walks (mostly on leads now where confusion likely to arise).
He looks happy (on odd occasions he does show signs of pain but these are rare and acute; I don't doubt he is in some chronic pain too).
He's on galiprant, supplements, hemp oil.
I'm finding it hard to call time. I know I shouldn't wait til he is in agony! But right now he still has quality of life.
How do you know? Lost four dogs previously; some pts but always younger dogs (4-13) and generally in acute situations not after a long old steady decline.
He's becoming trickier for us to look after but this doesn't seem a good enough reason to me.