Old Dog Blues Dilemma

I don't know what to do about Kodiak. I was going to have him put down this week because he's 14, can hardly walk, barks a lot, and bites. He seems distressed, although he still eats well. He can't get up the three back steps so I paid a neighbor to build a sturdy wood ramp off the side, but Kodiak wouldn't use it the few times I enticed him onto it. He attempted to bite me each time when I tried to him maneuver on the ramp. So he slept outside for two days because I have exhausted and hurt my body pulling him up the steps; I had surgery on my chest on July 27 and I'm not supposed to be lifting anything heavier than a half-gallon of milk. Ha. Kodiak weighs probably around 60-65 pounds, considerably heavier than a half-gallon of milk.

My friend's son is a veterinarian; I asked him to come over and examine Kodiak as best he could. Last night, Carl the vet gave Kodiak a steroid shot to reduce the inflammation in his arthritic front legs and hip dysplasia in the back, which is causing the lameness. He also gave me pain meds for Kodiak. Today, Kodiak can't get up, can't walk at all. Sometime between 2:30 and 6:00 this morning, he may have injured himself getting up and getting down the step into the kitchen where his favorite water bowl is located. Or it could be he's not tolerating the steroid shot. So, it may now be time to say goodbye. I was hoping to avoid that for awhile, but the time may be now. Kodiak hasn't stopped barking since 6:00am and it's noon. Maybe it's time to call Carl the vet once again.