Quality of Life at
the End of Life

"The Quality of Life is more important
than life itself."
Alexis Carrel

Near the end of life, many pets endure various forms of discomfort that can be challenging to detect, especially for those untrained in recognizing subtle signs. Hospice care veterinarians meticulously identify over 30 nuanced indicators of pain, alongside the distress caused by dehydration, nausea, loss of appetite, incontinence, breathing difficulties, disorientation, weakness, and more. Click here to see a list of pain symptoms. 

As the end of life approaches, most of us hope that our beloved pet will pass away quietly while they sleep. Sadly, this is hardly ever the case. A well thought out hospice care plan can increase the odds, but even then, the number of bad days may begin to exceed the number of good days. You may sense that your pet is just not who she or he used to be, that they aren’t "quite there" anymore or that they looks at you as if asking for your help. A moment later, there may be a little tail wag, a bit of purring, or they eat but then they slip away again. It is hard to know what to do. Over the years, I have always found that if we put the pet first, that if we reach deeply into our hearts and put his or her best interests and quality of life first, then the best choices are made. To that end, Dr. Alice Villalobos, a veterinary oncologist and creator of the first animal hospice program in the US ("Pawspice"), has created this Quality of Life Scale. Click here to open the Quality of Life Scale.

If your regular veterinarian feels that it is time, but you are not quite sure if today is the day, please feel free to call Dr. Scarzella or email her for help.