Losing a pet and running towards comfort

i got a call today from my X. Not a surprise since we talk often and have a child. He was very upset and concerned about our dog, a whippit. He was my dog coming into the family. Anyway, he went on to say the he hadn’t eaten in 2-3 days. Usually this is not reason for alarm since he has protested with many food strikes throughout his life. What made this a bit more scary was the fact that he had been eating less as it was for the past couple weeks, a lot less. The reason my X called to tell me is because our dog lives with him and our other dog. We didn’t think it was fair to separate them when I moved out. So, for the past year they have been in the same house. 

I had taken him to the vet last week do to the food issue. They ran tests, drew blood and did scans. everything came back normal or within a normal range. They told me to buy some yummy meaty food to add to his diet. I did, we tried, it didn’t work. This sweet dog is 35lbs on a good day. Last week he came in at 25lbs. And today, 23.5lbs it was sad. For a dog that is usually commented about for being skin and bones, he was now literally skin on bones. I went to the house to try and hand feed him and it wasn’t working. I decided to take him back to the vets. He is so weak ,at this time, that he can barely get up, let alone walk. I carried him to the car and off we went. People gasped at the sight of his body. It looked as if he had been running the streets roaming for food. A far cry for the dog who has lived in the hollywood hills, hollywood, a loft (his favorite). Point being he was well taken care of. after about an hour a nurse ushered me to an exam room. She asked to to wait and the doctor would be right in. When she did arrive the look in her face was austere. I knew what I was in for. She explained that they have ruled out anything good ,so to speak, and treatable. She gave me the options of what could be done. It was a list of dubious procedures and tests that had not a happy ending. She explained the typical life expectancy of a whippit is at best 13-15 years. My boy was 12 and a half with a history of chilling dog attacks and hospitalizations and a heart murmur. It was clear his time had come and he was shutting down. She gave me a few options and I asked her if I could sit a moment and think. I immediately called my X and filled him in. His voice started to crack and he said he would come right over to the hospital. I briefly filled him in on the options and he agreed not to prolong any agony for this sweet dog. By the time he got to the hospital they had already brought my dog into the exam room with me. wrapped in a blanket, he tried so hard to lift his head and see me. We placed him on a table and soon after my X arrived. He was openly upset and had been crying. We discussed the options while comforting our dog. When the time came we notified the doctor we were ready. Well, thats a questionable word , are you ever ready for this? As we stood above this sweet dog who has lost 1/3 of his body weight we cried. My X put his arm around me and leaned into me. I felt safe, I felt at home, I felt confused. The next few moments were surreal as I lay my hand gently upon my pups beating heart. The doctor started her procedure and within a minutes time the beat had stopped. He was gone. I put my arms around my X and we cried. We stood for a minute and quietly left. It’s interesting how the familiarity of an X can be more soothing than the comfort of a strange