I'm so sorry for your loss, but in truth also envious. I'd give anything to have a dog live to 16 and beyond.
As to your feelings -- I've felt guilty and second-guessed myself over almost every cat, dog, and horse I lost. Unlike you, the ones I didn't feel that way about were the old ones who had cancer. I still beat myself up over whether I made the decision to euthanize too soon or too late, but not over the death. An older dog with cancer is on what my grandmother used to call borrowed time no matter what I or any vet can do.
They are going to stop eating at some point, no matter what you do or feed. I hope the counselor can help you accept that if you did all the things you are blaming yourself for differently, the result would have been the same and then you'd be blaming yourself for those things. We all do our best in these situations and all wonder afterward if we could have done better or different.
As to your feelings -- I've felt guilty and second-guessed myself over almost every cat, dog, and horse I lost. Unlike you, the ones I didn't feel that way about were the old ones who had cancer. I still beat myself up over whether I made the decision to euthanize too soon or too late, but not over the death. An older dog with cancer is on what my grandmother used to call borrowed time no matter what I or any vet can do.
They are going to stop eating at some point, no matter what you do or feed. I hope the counselor can help you accept that if you did all the things you are blaming yourself for differently, the result would have been the same and then you'd be blaming yourself for those things. We all do our best in these situations and all wonder afterward if we could have done better or different.