dog quality of life

That may change, but I think I would still be enjoying life.”, You could say: “If I imagine myself as Sam (insert your dog’s name), I think the pain would be too much to handle and I probably wouldn’t be enjoying life anymore.”. Older dogs can get quite good at hiding their pain and may even withdraw so that they will be less of a burden on the family. This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. % of people told us that this article helped them. "We have a sixteen-year-old miniature poodle, and trying to assess if his quality of life is too poor is so. This article has been viewed 13,233 times. All rights reserved. Keep it civil. If you start seeing worrying signs that your senior dog is experiencing a lot of pain or is depressed, you may want to more formally assess their pain, quality of life, and desire to keep living. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. Providing your dog with a good quality of life is not something that is particularly difficult, and assuming you love your dog more than life itself, will not be something you would be averse to, surely. Quality of life scales are typically used when a pet has a terminal illness or is at an end of life stage. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. Pain management is crucial to a pet's quality of life. If, however, your score is below 35, you should consider euthanasia. There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. By using our site, you agree to our, Assessing Your Senior Dog’s Level of Pain, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/37\/Gauge-Your-Senior-Dog%27s-Quality-of-Life-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Gauge-Your-Senior-Dog%27s-Quality-of-Life-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/37\/Gauge-Your-Senior-Dog%27s-Quality-of-Life-Step-1.jpg\/aid8234192-v4-728px-Gauge-Your-Senior-Dog%27s-Quality-of-Life-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"