My heart dog died in September. It was a long, slow illness and I watched her get sicker and sicker. It crushed me. In October, I took in a foster. He is such a good boy. He is a sweet angel. My husband wants to keep him. But he (the foster dog) has health issues. My heart is right back to being in a vice. Watching him be sick, trying to help him, etc…. It’s exhausting and depressing. I don’t feel like I can go through this again right now. But on the other hand, who’s going to adopt him? He needs me. I just don’t know what to do. 
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That’s a tough spot to be in. For me it would come down to what he needs, but I have no self preservation sometimes.
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Those are the dogs that get adopted First! Shelter staff play up the dramatic story, potential adopters LOOOVE the "nobody else will adopt him, I have to!!!* True story. I used to work in rescue.
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I think much depends on the illness and the situation. It’s not necessary to hang onto the bitter end with a dog that will ultimately die. Giving a great quality of life and making a humane decision to end while the dog is still happy is not terrible (of course not easy, either).
While they might be adoptable, that definitely depends on the illness. What is the health issue? People’s tolerance for caregiving depends a lot on what kind of care is needed.
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This would be me too.
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can you ask the rescue that you obtained this foster dog from for advise/assistance?
We volunteer for Echo Dogs White Shepherd Rescue . I have no idea where they obtain their funding but over the years we have volunteered to foster dogs for them the organization has spent many tens of thousands of dollars on the dogs they have recued to ensure the dogs are healthy
Last summer I know the white shepherd we had for them with her eight puppies, they spent well over $15,000 on vet services for that litter never ever saying that whatever the vet recommended was not something they would pay for.
(We still are fostering Daggery waiting for the proper home for him. He is becoming civilized and more mannered, but is very athletic needing a place with a large yard and high fence. So far those that have interest in him did not have the facilities to handle him well)
My situation differs in that it’s about cats.
I never intended fostering, but adopted a 10yo cat, thinking he’d have at least several years with me & Bounce, my other 9yo cat.
I’d had to euth his lifelong companion (both adopted at 6mos) July 2023 due to FIC.
The adopted cat - Stripes - succumbed to a kidney failure just 2 weeks ago. So he had just over a year with me. Never bonded with Bounce, but they tolerated each other.
The day after I lost Stripes I took the mostly-full case of his RX canned food to the shelter.
I thought I wasn’t ready for another cat, but asked to see the available seniors.
& Came home Wednesday with Milo - 6yo, returned twice for litterbox issues. Shelter told me “he has a high stream” meaning outside a regular box. They suggested a covered box.
So far that seems to be working. 
They also thought he might be brewing a UTI & sent along 2wks of prefilled syringes of clavamox, to be given 2X daily.
Bounce still sings his Get Off My Lawn! song 
if Milo comes into the room. Milo largely ignores him.
Milo hadn’t been eating until yesterday, so that’s encouraging, but he’s friendly, asking for pets even after I dose him with the hated med.
Sorry if this rambled, but it’s made me consider fostering/adopting these older cats.
Did it break my heart to euth Stripes? Yes.
But at least his last year was good.
I hope this helps you.
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