We said goodbye to Frosty yesterday. She was a White Shepherd ~14 years old that we adopted when she was ~8 years old. She had a lot of random issues through her life, multiple sarcomas that she always made it through with more ease than expected.
It was super hard to say goodbye even though it was the right thing to do. The vet thinks she may have had a tumor developing in her head due to a sudden progression of a lot of issues with coordination at the end. My moment of realization was her back leg suddenly sliding forward, leading to either a spin sit or just a full on laydown.
She crossed the bridge in our yard with us at her side and is now buried in a wild flower garden. I miss her so much, and even finishing this up the grief wells up. I'm just happy she's no longer confused or in pain anymore.
I'm so sorry for your loss. It's great you supported her until the end. We lost our 15 year old Rocky 6 weeks ago, he was adopted by us when he was 10. I never expected the emotions to hit so hard, since we knew he couldn't live forever, but the brain doesn't process emotional attachment in the same place where it processes logic. The grief comes in waves and the first days are the hardest. Always remember you did the right thing and stood by her side. And the pain will never exceed the amount of love and joy she gave you when she was there. The lovely grave shows that she won the jackpot when she entered your family, and I bet she knew.