I've just come back from the vets where he was put to sleep.
He was in too much pain, it would have been selfish to keep him alive.
He went nicely though, the vets allowed him to stay lying in the back of our car and I sat by him all the way through. They had to put a muzzle on him because he showed his teeth at the lady but it could have been worse. He was finding it so hard to walk at the end, he couldn't have walked to the vets and he was far too big of a dog to carry.
I'm just glad that he's not in any pain anymore. Doesn't mean I won't miss him terribly though, he was much more than just a pet, he was a friend to me and the whole family.
They asked me if I wanted to keep his ashes and I said yes. Not sure on where I'm going to scatter them yet.