Quality of Life

Knowing when to say goodbye is never easy.  Your beloved pet may have been diagnosed with a terminal illness or experience a significantly diminished quality of life as they grow old.  Dr. Jessica H. Smith will perform a quality of life exam prior to euthanasia to help ensure its time and answer questions you may have.  There are a few signs that can help you determine if your pet's quality of life is declining:

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• Your pet appears painful, unable to walk or rise on their own.

• Experiencing chronic pain that cannot be controlled with medication or other alternative methods.

• Loss of appetite; no longer interested in food or water.

• Frequent vomiting or diarrhea that is causing dehydration and/or significant weight loss.

• Loss of urinary bladder control and or defecation

• No longer interested in being around the family; constantly hiding.

• Chronic labored breathing

• When the "bad" days outweigh the good days

• The HHHHHMM Scale can be a great tool to help you determine your pet's quality of life.

  • ​Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility, More Good Days Than Bad​​

  • You can enter HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale into your search engine to obtain a copy of the assessment.

• Please remember that we all have emotional limits, and our pets have physical limits.  When our limits get close or intersect, that is often when we decide to say goodbye.  Although the decision is never easy, we will work together to make the best decision for everyone.