re: When is it time to put down your pet?

My dog is over 17. He has some incontinence issues at night, so I cut out water and eating later in the evening and gave him the laundry room and an adjacent small bar area to sleep in, rather than confine him to his crate. He still has mishaps sometimes, but they are easier to clean up and he is less distressed. He also has a benign tumor on his neck that bleeds when he scratches it. We are told he is too old to have it removed since he'd have to be under general anesthesia. It does not appear to cause him much discomfort, and I keep it clean and put medicine on it to prevent infection. It's more an issue for me than him, as he does tend to scratch it and cause bleeding at night, making a bloody mess in his fur and bedding. All that said, he still has energy. He's slowing down and finding it harder to get up the steps. But he still chases after the mail carrier/delivery drivers and his appetite is good. If he stops eating or chasing delivery vans, it will be time.