Thank you keberoxu. I've cried quite a bit, and sadly so has my husband. He and Minty had a real bond. So many times in the past I've had to take a cat to the vet for the final journey, and it never ever gets any easier. But somehow the older one gets, the harder it becomes. The pain of grief is so intense.
I'm sure it's no different for owners of dogs, or in fact any creature we've grown to love.