Assessing and Understanding Your Pet’s Quality of Life

Quality of life (QOL) reflects your pet’s ability to enjoy life and their general well-being and includes their physical comfort, emotional state, and engagement with their surroundings. The Mobile Hospice Vet can help you learn to understand and assess the different aspects of quality of life and help you make informed decisions about your pet’s care, including when to say goodbye.

Why quality of life declines

As pets age or suffer from a progressive disease, their QOL can deteriorate, making understanding and closely monitoring QOL essential. Illness, pain, decreased mobility, and age-related changes, such as vision or hearing loss and dementia, can significantly impact a pet’s well-being, making daily tasks difficult, painful, or stressful.

Assessing your pet’s quality of life

Regular QOL evaluations are strongly recommended for pets with terminal conditions, in declining health, or in their final life stages. Routinely evaluating your pet’s QOL allows you and your veterinarian to make timely end-of-life decisions that protect your pet from unnecessary pain, suffering, or distress.

A QOL assessment can be easily performed at home with a QOL tool or scale. The Mobile Hospice Vet recommends the HHHHHMM Scale, a seven-point veterinarian-designed assessment that is scored from 0 to 10, with 10 indicating an ideal quality of life.1 Together, these categories provide a comprehensive snapshot of your pet’s physical and emotional health, creating an objective understanding of their overall well-being.

    • Hurt (Pain)
      Pain is the greatest detractor to your pet’s quality of life. Chronic or ongoing pain causes not only physical suffering but also significant mental stress and anxiety. Pets cannot rationalize pain and discomfort, which they may express through additional behavior changes, such as irritability, aggression, or uncharacteristic fear. Pain can also lead to various other complications and rapidly worsen your pet’s condition.

      What to watch for: Although pain is often synonymous with physical ailments, difficulty breathing is a common—and critical—risk in declining pets. If your pet is in distress or suffering from uncontrollable pain (i.e., medications aren’t working), immediately consult your veterinarian.

    • Hunger (Appetite)
      A healthy appetite is essential for maintaining energy and overall health. Changes in your pet’s eating habits, such as sudden disinterest in food, picky eating, or sudden weight loss, can indicate a serious underlying health issue and may lead to malnutrition.

      What to watch for: Appetite changes may be gradual or sudden but are always a cause for concern. If you can’t coax your pet to eat or they are consistently refusing food, they may require nutritional therapy (i.e., feeding tubes) or hospitalization to prevent further deterioration.

    • Hydration
      Proper hydration can affect everything from organ function to energy levels, so is critical to your pet’s health. Many sick or senior pets require the support of fluid therapy (i.e., subcutaneous fluids) to maintain appropriate hydration. However, as your pet’s health deteriorates, these methods may not be enough.

      What to watch for: Dehydration signs in your pet can include dry gums, lethargy, lack of skin elasticity, physical weakness, or mental dullness. If you suspect dehydration, consult your veterinarian.

    • Hygiene
      Good hygiene is critical for preventing infections, skin ulcers, and pain. Declining pets or those with reduced mobility may not be able to groom themselves or move away from urine or stool accidents. If your pet’s elimination or grooming habits change, their condition may be declining.

      What to watch for: If your pet has accidents or mobility issues, monitor their skin for signs of soiling (e.g., moisture, redness, or visible debris) or breakdown. If your pet cannot be kept clean and dry, their urine or stool changes, or they are experiencing more frequent infections, consult your veterinarian.

A golden retriever wearing a colorful bandana stands on green grass. The background is blurred with foliage. The dog's tongue is out, and it looks content and happy.

  • Happiness (Emotional well-being)
    Your pet’s mental health is as important as their physical health. Your pet’s emotional well-being is reflected in their willingness to engage with their environment and express joy. Changes in these behaviors can signal underlying pain or illness.

    What to watch for: Use your pet’s typical behavior as a guide to evaluate this category. Do they still participate in activities they have always enjoyed? Do they seek attention and want to play? Pets with poor emotional well-being may withdraw and seem confused, anxious, listless, or depressed.

  • Mobility
    Movement is an essential component of your pet’s quality of life. Many dogs and cats adapt to physical limitations, such as arthritis or injury, but progressive or severely limiting changes, such as an inability to rise or walk, can lead to rapid and irreversible physical and emotional decline.

    What to watch for: Mobility changes may include stiffness, pain, limping, inability to rise or walk, or refusing to move.

  • More good days than bad
    Everyone, including pets, can experience the occasional “off” day, but good days should generally outnumber the bad. Track your pet’s well-being on a calendar to help you recognize one-off occurrences and trends and respond appropriately.

    What to watch for: Consistent “bad” days should prompt a visit to your veterinarian or a quality-of-life consultation with The Mobile Hospice Vet.

Quality of life helps you see past complicated emotions, such as grief and guilt, and accurately assess your pet’s well-being. QOL scales and tools, along with guided support from The Mobile Hospice Vet, ensure that in life’s most challenging times, you can make the most loving and heartfelt decision for your beloved companion.

If you need assistance with end-of-life decision-making or evaluating your pet’s quality of life, The Mobile Hospice Vet can help. We provide compassionate, knowledgeable support and private in-home, end-of-life care, ensuring your best friend has a peaceful and loving farewell. Contact us to discuss your pet’s needs or request our services online.

References:
Oncology Outlook, by Dr. Alice Villalobos, Quality of Life Scale Helps Make Final Call, VPN, 09/2004; Adapted from: Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology: Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, Blackwell Publishing, 2007.