Thanks for the suggestion, I'll bring that up. We're already giving her glucosamene(sp?) and some other suppliments for her joints but I hadn't realized there was a medicine for canine dementia. How much does that cost, if you don't mind me asking?

The only thing is that my parents might not be able to afford new medicines for Sparky, or else wouldn't budget for it. I feel disrespectful saying this, but they're kind of cheap. I've suggested taking the dog to the Vet's just for a check up to see if there's any identifiable, specific problem bothering her, but my mom's reply is just that "all the Vet will suggest is euthanasia and then we've got an office visit bill to pay."

And I understand the "labor of love" thing, but that's just another reason why I hate seeing the dog still alive, because it's NOT a labor of love in this case. I wouldn't say that Sparky was ever neglected by any means, but my parents more or less ignored her throughout her life. It's not like she's the constant companion who sleeps at the foot of their bed. Even now, my mom doesn't really pay attention to her unless it's to keep her quiet or clean her up. I think she's simply become a fixation-- and I'm sure my parents' relationship problems are probably at or near the root of this, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms...