ASSESSING QUALITY OF LIFE
Euthanasia is often a difficult decision. As the owner, you must act as the pet’s advocate and assess your
pet’s quality of life. Your assessment is inherently challenging and emotional and is unique to you and
your pet. With this in mind, you should ask yourself: “Whom am I doing this for?” Often times, this
answer will allow you to make an unselfish decision and contemplate euthanasia as a compassionate
option. The following “Quality of Life Considerations” provide a qualitative framework to help guide your
difficult assessment.
QUALITY OF LIFE CONSIDERATIONS
DESCRIPTION
Pain/Discomfort
Mobility
Appetite/Eating ability
Thirst/Hydration
Breathing
Vision
Hearing
Hygiene
Incontinence
Mental capacity
Joy of life/Happiness
More good days than bad
Response to treatment
GREAT
GOOD
DECREASED
POOR
PAIN/DISCOMFORT
Pain is one of the primary considerations when assessing the quality of life of your pet. While there are
many effective pain relievers, at times, they may not be sufficient. Pets, especially cats, may be very good
at concealing their pain. For example, cats will hide when they are suffering, and stoic, yet a suffering dog
may still wag its tail. However, there are often subtle ways to determine if your animal is in pain, such as:
Your pet may not greet you when you come home; or your pet may no longer willingly use the stairs or
jump into the car; or your pet stops showing interest in food. In other instances, your pet may just seem
grumpy or ‘off’ on occasion and pets with belly pain may appear to be staring off into space.
Document1
MOBILITY
How well can your pet get around? An older pet often loses some mobility, but severe loss of mobility can
hinder your pet’s quality of life. A dog may no longer be able to climb stairs or hop into a car; a cat may
lose the ability to jump onto a bed or chair. At this stage, however, your pet may still be healthy and happy,
if you can easily make accommodations for its reduced agility. For instance, environmental
accommodations such as a sling, harness, cart or ramp may be helpful in such circumstances. In other
cases, medication may be beneficial by reducing joint pain and improving mobility.
If, however, your pet is severely debilitated, its quality of life is impacted. Can your pet get up without
assistance? Can your pet sit or lie down without collapsing? Can your pet walk? Can your pet handle basic
functions, such as getting up to urinate/defecate or squatting in a litter box? Does your pet whimper or
growl if moved? These severe signs may indicate your pet is truly suffering.
APPETITE
A pet that is unable or unwilling to eat is on a slow road to starvation. Can your pet consume enough food
or digest the food to remain properly nourished? Does your pet have oral pain? Does your pet vomit or
regurgitate the food after eating? Does your pet enjoy eating, or do you have to coax or hand feed them?
Loss of appetite or food motivation may indicate your pet’s quality of life is impacted.
THIRST/HYDRATION
Your pet needs water more than food. Adequate hydration is crucial for your pet’s quality of life. Is your
pet drinking enough? If your pet is vomiting or not drinking, your pet will quickly become dehydrated. You
can quickly assess your pet’s hydration by lifting up the skin over the shoulders (like a tent). If the skin
does not spring back quickly, your pet is very dehydrated. In some cases, fluids injected under the skin or
intravenously may help to supplement lack of water intake for a short time frame, but this is not a longterm solution.
BREATHING
Lack of oxygen is life threatening and often requires emergency care. Does your pet breath easily or does it
appear labored? Does your pet have coughing fits or an increased breathing rate when active or sleeping?
Does your cat sit “sternal” with the front legs tucked under their body? Such signs, indicate respiratory
difficulty that impact your pet’s quality of life.
VISION
It’s not uncommon for aging pets to have decreased night vision or develop blindness. If the pet can safely
adapt to the environment, such vision conditions may still sustain a good quality of life. However, if your
pet cannot successfully or safely navigate around your house or yard or find food and water your pet’s
quality of life is compromised.
HEARING
Many pets experience decreased hearing with age. As with vision, if such conditions prevent your pet from
safely and successfully navigating within its environment then your pet’s quality of life is impacted. For
instance, can your pet hear an on-coming car or detect a predator?
Document1
HYGIENE
Poor hygiene can often be seen in sick or debilitated animals. Is your pet’s coat dull, smelly or matted? Cats
that don’t feel well often stop grooming which leads to a matted and unkempt coat. Is your pet’s mobility
affected so much that they lie in their waste after elimination? Can they control their bladder and bowel
functions? Poor hygiene often is an indication of more severe, underlying ailments that affect quality of
life.
INCONTINENCE
Does your pet have good control of its eliminations, or do they routinely eliminate on themselves. Do they
seem distressed by their incontinence? Are they developing skin infections or urine scalding from their
incontinence? Has their incontinence forced them to live outside?
MENTAL CAPACITY
Older pets may develop diminished mental capacity. Does your pet forget things, such as what they were
doing, where they were going or where a toy is located? Is your pet confused or fearful of their
surroundings? In some cases this ‘confusion’ may be the result of hearing or vision loss, to which both you
and your pet can often adapt.
JOY OF LIFE
How happy is your pet? Do they still take pleasure from their food, their toys, their surroundings, and most
of all, from contact with you and the rest of their family? Animals that appear depressed, lonely, anxious or
fearful may be in pain or have started to give up on life.
ASSESSING DAYS
Is your pet having more good days than bad? This simple question is one of the most important
considerations to keep in mind. Marking on a calendar how your dog feels each day may be helpful. A “bad
day” may be characterized by lethargy, loss of appetite, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting or simply pain. A
“good day” may be characterized by being alert, healthy appetite, active, and a positive response to you.
RESPONSE TO TREATMENT
When a pet becomes ill, an owner’s natural response is to provide whatever treatment necessary. However,
in some circumstances such treatment is more stressful to the pet than the condition itself. In these
circumstances, the efforts to save a pet’s life are actually diminishing, rather than enhancing their quality of
life.
Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic
P (916) 652-5816 F(916) 652-5975
WWW.LOOMISBASINVET.COM
3901 Sierra College Blvd.
Loomis, CA 95650
Document1