QUALITY OF LIFE Assessment
Instructions
Below are eight different headings using the acronym 'JOURNEYS'.
Please use the following method to judge your pets overall health.
Please assign a number between 1-10 for each heading.
(For example under 'Jumping or Mobility' 1 point means your pet cannot walk or stand without assistance, and 10 points means your pet is fully active and enjoying all their activities.)
After you've assigned a score between 1-10 for each heading, add up the numbers for a total score out of 80
There are no hard and fast rules, but the higher the score the healthier your pet. A score of 80 is a happy healthy pet!
A score of 40 or below may be cause for concern and a 'Quality of Life' appointment with Dr Andrea is highly recommended.
1. Jumping or Mobility
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
2. Ouch or Pain
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
3. Uncertainty and Understanding (factors that affect YOU)
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
4. Respiration or Breathing
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
5. Neatness or Hygiene
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
6. Eating and Drinking
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
7. You
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
8. Social ability
Example below showing how to allocate a score:
Please add up the scores for each answer. Please repeat the quality of life check once a week, so that you can keep tabs on things in a more scientific way.
Many owners feel that if their pet is still eating then they should be fine to keep going. This is absolutely not the case, as you can see above, there are many other factors that need to be taken into consideration. It is far better for a pet with a consistently declining score to be allowed to pass gently and lovingly to prevent further suffering.
We hope this was a helpful starting place to explore your pet’s quality of life. Please get in touch if you need help with the decision making process. It is not easy at all, but I do believe that we are fortunate to be able to have the option of euthanasia as a choice for our animals. We can be in control and can let them go gently when our gut feeling tells us that enough is enough.
Below are eight different headings using the acronym 'JOURNEYS'.
Please use the following method to judge your pets overall health.
Please assign a number between 1-10 for each heading.
(For example under 'Jumping or Mobility' 1 point means your pet cannot walk or stand without assistance, and 10 points means your pet is fully active and enjoying all their activities.)
After you've assigned a score between 1-10 for each heading, add up the numbers for a total score out of 80
There are no hard and fast rules, but the higher the score the healthier your pet. A score of 80 is a happy healthy pet!
A score of 40 or below may be cause for concern and a 'Quality of Life' appointment with Dr Andrea is highly recommended.
1. Jumping or Mobility
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
- 1 points: Your pet cannot walk or stand without assistance.
- 2-4 points: Your pet can move around as long as he/she has their pain medication. They can do less than half the activities they did when they were healthier, or can get about half the distance on a walk, or spend half the time doing their activities (chasing a Frisbee, swimming, hunting) as they used to.
- 5-9 points: your pet has reasonably good mobility, enjoying walks and not feeling 'tired' on the way back from outings
- 10 points: Your pet is fully active and enjoying all their activities.
2. Ouch or Pain
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
- 1 point: Your pet seems painful (whining, crying, not willing to move) even while taking pain medication. Note: many animals will hide pain or weakness as a survival trait.
- 2-4 points: your pet is quite withdrawn, maybe doesn't get up when you get home despite being on medication. Some pets can hide their pain. They may still smile and wag their tail, but chose not to move around or get up
- 5-9 points: Your pet is on pain medications and the medications are helping at least 75% of the time.
- 10 points: Your pet is pain free.
3. Uncertainty and Understanding (factors that affect YOU)
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
- 1 point: Your pet has a diagnosis (medical condition) that cannot be predicted. The problem may be prone to sudden, catastrophic events.
- 2-4 points: You may not understand what is wrong with your pet but they are clearly unwell and deteriorating with time
- 5-9 points: Your pet has a medical condition that can change over time, is currently stable, and you are able to monitor it (with the help of your veterinarian) and make adjustments when necessary. You understand what to watch for, the treatment plan, and when your pet needs medical attention.
- 10 points: Your pet is happy and healthy; there are no medical issues beyond routine preventative care.
4. Respiration or Breathing
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
- 1 point: Your pet has severe episodes of difficulty breathing, coughing or open mouth breathing. They are not eating or drinking in an effort to breathe. At this point you should seek immediate medical attention for your pet.
- 2-4 points: Your pet is breathing more quickly than normal, maybe panting, and may not want to lie down flat, rather stay more upright on their chest to allow themselves to breathe more easily,. They may or may not have a persistent cough
- 5-9 points: Your pet has occasional bouts of coughing, wheezing, or exercise intolerance. They are short (less than 2 minutes) and they may be on medication from your veterinarian that can be adjusted to help.
- 10 points: Your pet has no coughing, wheezing, or exercise intolerance.
5. Neatness or Hygiene
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
- 1 point: Your pet spends time lying in their urine and/or faeces. They may be unable to control their elimination, or be unable to move after elimination. Your pet may have an external tumor or mass that is bleeding, foul smelling, and infected, and you are unable to keep it clean and/or bandaged. Your pet may have pressure sores (bed sores) from lying down and being unable to move.
- 2-4 points: Your pet may have accidents inside the house. They may have growths or tumours that are infected.
- 5-9 points: Your pet may need assistance to urinate/defecate but they do not spend time lying in their waste. They are able to hold their urine/feces until they get assistance. They may have an external tumor or mass, but it can be kept clean and/or bandaged and it is not infected. They groom themselves, but may need assistance in some areas (example-rear end).
- 10 points: Your pet can urinate, defecate, and groom themselves without assistance. They have no medical issues that are causing them to have a bad odour. You can provide any care issues to address their hygiene (baths, trip to the groomer, anal gland expression, teeth cleaning, etc.)
6. Eating and Drinking
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
- 1 point: Your pet is refusing food and water. They may be vomiting or having diarrhea (or both). They may be nauseous. Cats may “hang out” at the water bowl, next to it, or with their heads hanging over it.
- 2-4 points: Your pet used to love their food, but will now only eat intermittently. They may need hand feeding. They may be drinking twice as much as they used to
- 5-9 points: Your pet is eating more slowly, and is not as interested in food as they used to be. They may go back several times before they finish a meal. They are eating slightly less than usual, but are eating their regular food.
- 10 points: Your pet is eating and drinking normally.
7. You
Examples below showing how to allocate a score:
- 1 point: You are constantly worried about your pet. You may not understand what is happening to them. You feel overwhelmed and stressed trying to provide for their needs. You may feel you are unable to provide for their needs physically, emotionally, or financially. You may be worried about how they will fare when you are away on an upcoming trip. There may be tension in the family and disagreement on how to proceed.
- 2-4 points: You are worried about leaving your pet alone even for a few hours. You may feel that there needs to be someone looking after them 24/7. There may be one special caregiver that gives them comfort, and that no one else in the family can look after them quite as well
- 5-9 points: You understand your pet’s condition, and are able, with some effort, to meet their needs. You may have concerns, but they are manageable.
- 10 points: You are easily able to meet your pet’s needs, and not worried about any aspect of their care.
8. Social ability
Example below showing how to allocate a score:
- 1 point: Your pet does not spend time with the family. They may hide, become irritable or snappy if bothered. Some pets that do not enjoy being patted and stroked may now not seem to care if they are patted or stroked. Perhaps your pet is unable physically to get to the room where they usually spend time with others.
- 2-4 points: Your pet may not get out of bed when you get home. They may lie in strange different places.
- 5-9 points: Your pet spends at least half the time with the family. They are not irritable or snappy. They happily greet you when you come home.
- 10 points: Your pet enjoys you, the family, and others (including other animals they may know), greets you at the door when you arrive home, and seeks out company.
Please add up the scores for each answer. Please repeat the quality of life check once a week, so that you can keep tabs on things in a more scientific way.
Many owners feel that if their pet is still eating then they should be fine to keep going. This is absolutely not the case, as you can see above, there are many other factors that need to be taken into consideration. It is far better for a pet with a consistently declining score to be allowed to pass gently and lovingly to prevent further suffering.
We hope this was a helpful starting place to explore your pet’s quality of life. Please get in touch if you need help with the decision making process. It is not easy at all, but I do believe that we are fortunate to be able to have the option of euthanasia as a choice for our animals. We can be in control and can let them go gently when our gut feeling tells us that enough is enough.
No more stressful car journeys to the vet clinic. A house call is only a phone call away.
Our service area covers the majority of the Northern Suburbs of Perth. (Please refer to the shaded area on the map on the Contact page.)
Coastal - Wembley Downs to Butler
East - Carabooda to Osborne Park
Coastal - Wembley Downs to Butler
East - Carabooda to Osborne Park
