My sympathy for you and your family. I too am going through the same thing. My old Labradors retriever got a bad case of Lymes disease last year. Even though he had the shots and bug juice on him, he still caught it. Because of his age (12 years old)the vet said he can not shake it. So after medicating the devil out of him, he still has it. They have him on a pill (twice a day) for the arthritis and his hips are going out on him also. So his days are also numbered, but he is haniging in there.

I am not looking forward to the day when I no longer have him around but with all dogs, it is something we have to face. Best of everything for the little fellow.....