Common and often age-related diseases eventually take hold of our pet’s comfort level and ability to carry out their activities of daily living. Pets may endure a very poor quality of life as even the thought of providing them a peaceful passing can be very heart-wrenching. We often cling to the idea they will pass peacefully on their own when in reality a peaceful death from disease is rarely the case. Pet owners often find themselves doing a quick, daily check-in that their pet is “doing ok” if there’s a tail wag or a brief moment where they enjoyed a special treat.
Taking a more objective inventory of how your pet is compensating for their known or unknown life-limiting disease(s) is actually how we need to assess whether their quality of life is acceptable or teetering towards a crisis situation:
Quality of Life & End-of-Life Decisions
If possible, end-of-life decisions should always be made with your pet’s comfort and dignity in mind. Many pet owners find it helpful to use a structured quality-of-life guide to better understand how their pet is feeling day to day.
One widely used scale is the HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale, developed by veterinary oncologist Dr. Alice Villalobos. This scale helps assess key factors such as pain, appetite, hydration, mobility, happiness, and whether your pet is experiencing more good days than bad.
We recommend reviewing a recent article found on Chewy’s Education Center that covers the HHHHHMM scale. We have included the link below under Learn More.
