A guide to help you determine your pet’s quality of life

There are a few key indicators that can help us to determine a pet’s Quality of Life. I often hear clients say ‘I don’t want my pet to suffer’ or “I am worried that my pet is in pain?”. The trouble is, animals are very good at hiding their pain, making it difficult to detect unless you know what to look for. In general, some of the common signs of pain in cats and dogs are pacing, hiding in different areas, not interacting with family, showing signs of aggression (growling, snapping), excessive panting, immobility, whining or yelping, reduced appetite and flinching when touched. Rest Your Paws has created a personalized checklist using key indicators of an animals Quality of Life. Using the 8 main categories in the chart below, give your pet a score between 0-3 in each category. Add up the total number of points and this will give you a total score between 0 and 24.