As your pet ages and reaches senior status, knowing whether you’re seeing typical age-related changes, or signs of discomfort, pain, and suffering can be challenging. While your family veterinarian is an excellent source for determining your furry companion’s comfort level and health status by gathering a thorough history, performing a comprehensive physical exam, and running screening tests, you can evaluate your pet’s quality of life at home. A quality of life assessment is a critical tool for judging your pet’s comfort and happiness, and helping decide whether or not they are suffering. Remaining objective is incredibly difficult when you are evaluating your own pet, but a good quality of life scale can help with that determination. Let’s take a closer look at this invaluable tool.
What is a quality of life scale for pets?
A quality of life scale allows you to evaluate your pet’s well-being and help you make difficult end-of-life care decisions. As your furry companion ages and their health declines, knowing when it’s time to let them go and end their suffering may seem impossible, but you can use a quality of life scale at home to assess their comfort. Of course, your family veterinarian also is a wonderful resource for discussing your pet’s quality of life.
What does a quality of life scale evaluate in my pet?
A quality of life scale allows you to measure your pet’s appetite, mobility, energy and pain levels, and overall well-being. Each category is essential for a happy, healthy pet and, by looking at them individually, you can formulate the big picture of your pet’s overall health. Some of the more common categories you’ll find in quality of life scales include:
- Pain — Is your pet’s pain well-managed, or are medical and alternative therapies not working anymore?
- Hunger — Is your pet nauseous? Are they too painful and uncomfortable to eat? Do they have difficulty chewing or swallowing? Do you have to syringe- or tube-feed your pet?
- Hydration — Is your pet able to hold down water, or are they vomiting and becoming dehydrated? Does your pet need fluids under the skin to maintain adequate hydration?
- Mobility — Can your pet move around on their own, or do they require assistance to stand to eat, drink, or eliminate?
- Hygiene — Is your pet able to eliminate appropriately, or are they incontinent, and developing sores and infections from urine and feces?
- Happiness — Does your pet appear happy, and still find joy in their favorite activities? Does your pet interact with your family, or do they hide from people?
Overall, a quality of life scale will determine whether your pet is having more good days than bad, or more good than uncomfortable moments.
How do I use a quality of life scale for my pet?
Lap of Love’s co-founders, Dr. Gardner and Dr. McVety, have each created their own quality of life scale. For truly objective results and the most well-rounded evaluation of your pet’s comfort level, you and your family can use both scales.
When using a quality of life scale, carefully consider and grade each category daily. For example, if your pet had a great day, and ate all their food, our Interactive Quality of Life Assessment and Daily Diary would assign the number “2” to the nutrition category because of their good appetite. But, that evaluation could drop to a “1” the next day, because your pet ate only their breakfast. At the end of each day, tally up the graded categories to determine whether your pet is comfortable, they require additional treatment, or it’s time to end their suffering. Look for weekly patterns for a better indication of your pet’s overall health and well-being, rather than a single day.
Your pet’s quality of life can be difficult to evaluate on your own, but a quality of life scale can make correctly judging their comfort easier. If you still struggle to remain objective, rely on your family veterinarian for guidance, or contact a Lap of Love veterinarian in your area.
Contact our Support Center to learn more about veterinary hospice care, or in-home euthanasia, and our aftercare options and telehospice services. Our team is here for you and your pet as they enter their golden years.
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