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Evaluating Quality of Life

Mocha the dog

The end of your pet’s life can be a roller coaster of good and bad days for your pet and corresponding emotions for you and your family. Euthanasia is often discussed to end suffering in our furry family members, but the decisions building up to the end can be daunting and even debilitating. You are not alone. There are resources that we have to help make these difficult decisions and provide clarity. It won't be easy, but we are here to help support and guide you through it all.

A “Quality of Life Evaluation/Exam” is a consultation with a veterinarian to help you make decisions about the best steps for your pet and your family. If your pet has been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, chronic disease, or you’ve been noticing your pet’s condition is declining, a quality of life consultation is warranted. The veterinarian will review your pet’s records and history, and a physical exam will be performed. The vet will help you decide if we are in the range where euthanasia is the most loving and humane decision for your pet, if routine veterinary care is appropriate, or if a hospice consultation and care should be pursued. If hospice is the elected route, a separate appointment is set up to discuss this type of care in greater detail, tailored to your family, and guided by a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian (See Comfort Care).

There are also several resources online that can help in this time. They don’t replace a consultation with a veterinarian, but are often used in conjunction with that discussion.

Other tips to help evaluate your pet’s quality of life:

  • Talk with your family about what things make your pet happy, what your pet feels their “job” is (e.g. squirrel patrol or front door greeter), and what makes your pet who they are. Then discuss how much of these things are still happening, what makes a “good” vs. “bad” day, and are there adjustments that can be made to keep the good happening. How good are the good days and how bad or the bad?
  • Keep a calendar of “good” and “bad” days. This can be as simple as smiley and frowny faces on a paper calendar, or rating each day on a scale of one to ten and recording it in your phone’s calendar.
  • Discuss with family what things would be more obvious signs that it’s time to let go, beyond just a decline in eating. What lines do we not want to cross? What specific things do we not want them to experience? What things do you want to know more about, to ask your veterinary professionals?

The veterinarians and staff at River City Veterinary Hospital are available to guide you through this challenging and important stage in caring for your pet. Please let us walk with you on this journey by setting up a consultation with one of our veterinarians.

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