You will know. You will, and it'll hurt like crazy, but you'll endure because you can't not make the right choice for him. It's awful and it sucks more than words can express but you will be there for Bigboy. We'll be here for you.

Hello everyone! I would like to tell each one of you just how much bigboy and I appreciate the support. I told my son that for people that don't even know me personally that you all really help me and it means alot. Sorry haven't been on much but I'm an over the road truck driver so not much time for computer. I took a couple months off due to bigboys illness and even though he has been raised in the truck its stressful for him at times. It is hard to deal with because I don't want to put him through anymore stress than he's going to have anyway. Got him on some meds to help him deal with the truck better so we're doing ok there. He is still doing good but I can see him going down more and more but he's still eating drinking and enjoying life. I find myself driving and the tears just a pouring. Love him so much and even me knowing he's sick isn't making it any easier to face being without him. Thanks for the support everyone it means alot.

Aww Sharon that is such a sad post. Poor Bigboy, nice for him to be in your truck with you though.
I wish you and him all the best.

Thank you, and bigboy is definitely a fighter and not giving up. If I couldn't take him in the truck with me I guess I would be without a job cause not leaving him. That may sound awful but that's the way I feel.

Doesn't sound awful to me. Sounds as if bigboy is not only your best pal but your work mate too. I am glad you are keeping him with you as long as you can. What he's used to is best. Time to worry about the hard decision when he can't enjoy the life he's been used to with you.

I know how hard it hits when it's a dog you spend 24/7 with - always there and (if you're like me) you talk to him all the time too! You do form a great bond and an excellent 'understanding' of one another.

I hope you two can spend Christmas together happily.

So pleased to hear he's still eating and drinking ok and is enjoying life as best he can. It must be absolute torment for you to look across that seat and see him lying there, wondering if he's in pain, wondering whether he's going to tell you when he's ready, and most of all, the pain of wondering just how much longer you can enjoy his love and friendship.

For now all you can do is to carry on treasuring every extra minute you've been granted. A lot of us don't know when we're going to lose them, some I've lost in an instant when there was nothing wrong with them, some I've had to choose for myself when I think the time is right and always worried I might have got it wrong, it's all such agony, and there really is no easy way out for US, although there is always one for them. I hope and pray that when his time comes, he will slow down enough for you to know, but for the moment, he's eating and drinking and enjoying your love and let's hope his borrowed time goes on a lot longer than you may be thinking.

The torment you are going through reminds me of that beautiful Kipling poem When you give your Heart to a Dog to Tear

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now give him a great big hug, I'm sure he's not going anywhere soon, but as you will see in that poem, it's a debt that's going to have to be repaid by heartbreak one day in the future, as all of us know only too well. Your love will keep him alive for longer that's for sure, he lives on it!xxxx

That is a lovely poem. Sums up what I say about the price we pay for loving them so much is the heartbreak when they go.

Yes, well, the heartbreak is worth it, IMHO. Measure that immeasurable pain against all the love and joy and just plain happiness-- well, it's an unstoppable force against an immovable object. Immovable object always wins. That's the love and joy and happiness. That'll be with you forever. So will the rest, of course, but put all these good bits in a place in your brain where you can get at them.