14yr old shi tzu never barked most of life. now blind and has arthritic hindquarters & takes pain meds for it. no other serious health issues according to local vet. lately walks aimlessly around house sometimes in circles and whines almost continuously. Has to go out 4-6 times a day and sometimes will still pee on the house overnight. if he gets stuck trying to stand, he whines. has to go out, he whines. if hungry, he whines. trying to find bed, he whines. after he eats just wandering around, he whines. if we try to help him up while whining, he barks like hes mad. question: Is it finally time to let him go? We cant sleep and cant take the whining.
I am sorry to say that I cannot tell you when it is time to say goodbye. This is your family member and you know them better than anyone. What you have written does make him sound like he is very uncomfortable though. I would recommend you have a quality of life exam performed by a veterinarian. They can help you look at all the symptoms and talk about what can be done for each of them or potentially if there is something much more severe going on that may or may not be treatable. Hopefully, this exam will give you the information you need to make a more informed decision about what you would like to do with your companion.
It is also important that when you book the exam that you discuss your concerns with the person booking the appointment so that they understand you may need a bit more time than normal for your exam than normal.