I'm really struggling tonight and could just do with a bit of a handhold.
My poor boy has suddenly taken a really unexpected turn for the worse. Quite literally overnight. He had a bit of early onset arthritis, but it was never anything the vet was particularly concerned about or felt was affecting his quality of life. It's almost as though it's progressed a hundredfold in the space of a day.
He can barely use his legs now. He won't even go out into the garden to have a wee or poo (usually had at least 2 walks a day at his elderly leisurely pace) and seems to be trying to hold it in for as long as possible, until he eventually ends up weeing himself. Even on the rare occasions when he manages to get himself up and moving, and we get him outside, he will have a wee but he's clearly in pain.
He needs help with pretty much everything now. He's still eating, although only if we're hand feeding him high value things like mince, but thankfully he's drinking normally.
We've managed to get the earliest available vet appointment for tomorrow morning. I'm hoping with absolutely everything I have that this is something some medication or treatment can help with, but I can't shake the horrible feeling that this might be the beginning of the end, and that I could be about to lose him very suddenly.
He's my best friend. We've been through thick and thin together for 10 years. He's been there during my pregnancy (and the 5am summer pregnancy I can't sleep walks), for every single bedtime story of my son's entire life. He's imprinted himself onto me in a way I can't really explain. He is my shadow, always following me wherever I go, even checking in that I was safe having a bath, and my chief barketing officer, snoozing away beside me while I work, keeping a watchful eye on proceedings. I genuinely don't know what I'll do without him.
I know he's getting older, and I've always known that this day would come eventually. I just wasn't expecting it to happen like this, so suddenly, with seemingly no warning. One minute he's just my dog, doing all the little things he's always done, and the next I'm looking at him wondering if these are the last days we have together.
I'm desperately hoping tomorrow brings some good news, that this is a blip, that there's something simple we can do and he'll get some quality of life back. I know I might be clutching at straws, but I just can't bear the thought of it being anything else.
I'm not really sure there is any advice for this, but just a bit of a handhold from people who've been through this. I feel absolutely heartbroken tonight, and I think I just needed to put it somewhere.