Is euthanasia the right decision?

Hi just needing some advice/closure. Sorry in advance for the long post. My 11year old staffie got diagnosed with arthritis march last year in his hip and lower spine. He now also has it in front legs. He started on metacam then in January I believe he started cartophen injections. These worked up until April. He had them monthly. He then started on pardale instead of metacam. About a month later he's started on gabapentin. Hes on 3 pardales a day and 3×300mg of gabapentin a day. 8 weeks ago we decided to try the starter dose on cartophen again to see if he needed restarting but it hasn't helped. He went to the vets yesterday but due to high adrenaline and stress the vet can't get a good examination off him. We've showed videos and explained how he is and we have kind of agreed that it may be time to help him over 🌈. The vet did bring out an euthanasia form for us to fill in but we agreed to put him on comfortan (methadone) so we have time to say our goodbyes. In a way I think he's ready but also don't think he is as he will occasionally attempt to run after tennis balls but is so sore after and can't go upstairs/struggles after in obvious pain. We have noted muscle wastage in a lot of his body as well as him looking over all smaller. He has become distant and spends a lot of his time in his cage ( where his bed is/ possibly his safe place) as well as being really grumpy at my other dogs. Overall he is very quiet and seems sad but will occasionally have his excited moments when people come. These aren't very often and he becomes really sleepy soon after. Does he sound like he's ready? Is there anything else pain meds wise that would be worth trying or are we making the right decision to let him cross rainbow bridge? Just to add hes also on garden exercise only due to him not even being able to do 5-10 minute walks around our block as his back legs become weak and it completely wipes energy out of him. He is also having his second pancreatitis flare up with the first one lasting 8 weeks and only 4 weeks in-between where he was fine. He is not interested in drinking and sometimes won't eat.

Hello and I'm sorry that you are having such a hard time.  It's never easy - and it wasn't meant to be.  Losing a pet can be as traumatic as losing a close family member - indeed, for many people, it is losing a close family member.   There was a website, the Ralph site, set up by an amazing vet  called Shailen Jassen after his cat died, that you may find very helpful. There are also several very good articles in the blog about identifying the right time for euthanasia.  (I wrote one of them a few years back - look out for it.  There is a search function at the top of the blog). I always found that clients usually knew the right time, but were afraid that they were wrong.  Or rather, there is never a right time for putting your pet to sleep - it never feels okay. For me personally, I would rather say goodbye to a pet when they did still wag their tail, recognise me and feel pleased to see me and reassured that I was there.  But everybody is different on this one - as I said, there is no one 'right' time.    

So the situation you describe might be the 'right time' for you and him and the wrong time for a different owner and their pet.  This is okay. It is you and your staffie's gut feeling that matters on this one.

Search the blog for 'put to sleep' to find the article that I mentioned.  It has a picture of a cat. Best of luck