Good Bye, Good Dog

We can't quite believe it. We've had our final walk with Ava.

The medication prescribed for Ava helped her a great deal. However, the damage done to the disks in her spine caught up with her, and she was finding it very difficult to walk. 

We've taken the hardest decision, and went with tears in our eyes to visit the vet. She took one look at us and knew why we were here. I put on a pretense of wanting her opinion. The vet, Louisa,  was very kind and listened to my description of Ava's deterioration. I then asked for her opinion. She replied that in our position, she would put the dog to sleep. Technically, that's when we made the decision, but we knew the day before that Ava would not be coming home with us.  

Ava was given a sedative, and we sat around her telling her what a good dog she was, and that we loved her. Then Louisa gave Ava the final injection, and she slowly stopped. There was one spasm, and it looks so much like Ava was snuggling into C for one last hug. 

A friend said, "Better a week too early than a day too late."  If we'd left it any later, I don't think Ava would have been able to walk. It would have been very distressing for her. 

A terrible decision to make, but ultimately the right one.