Kacey Musgraves is "pre-grieving" her dog Pearl.
The 36-year-old singer travelled home to Texas to visit her family over the festive break but admitted it has been tinged with sadness as her beloved pooch Pearl nears her final days.
She shares on Instagram Stories: "Been sad over here pre-grieving the loss of my Pearl Girl the last couple of days.
"She is still hanging on but is very near the end. She's survived a lot in her 15 years.
"She came to me the day after my 21st bday and has seen me thru so many chapters."
Kacey revealed that her parents took Pearl in after she lost a leg and could no longer cope with tour life and said they have "loved her completely as their own".
She wrote: "When she became a tripod my parents kindly took her in because she was no longer suited for the road life and they have loved her completely as their own. My dad especially took a liking to her. She's his best friend.
"The bond we form with these creatures is such a blessing but a ticking time bomb. An inevitable continuous deposit into a bank of future sadness. So painful but so worth it."
Kacey also revealed that this trip home is most likely the last time she will ever see the dog.
She wrote: "I told her it was okay if she needs to cross that rainbow bridge. Not sure I will ever see her again."
However, Kacey praised Pearl's strength and said the dog could "outlive us all".
She wrote: "She is honestly tough as nails. She's survived two catastrophic accidents, is missing an arm and has a rod in her hip. Maybe she'll somehow actually outlive us all."
