Quality of Life
There's light snow falling outside, and I'm huddled up on the couch with a blanket and kitten on my lap. I just finished a long island iced tea and am trying to figure out how to start a blog post. I would say my quality of life is pretty good at the moment. However, my classmates from Florida would be on their deathbeds if they had to deal with a high of 28 degrees in late March. Like their owners, pets have a unique perspective on the quality of life. Helping you better understand their quality of life is the goal of this post.
Quality of life discussions usually come up with senior patient visits, but it is an essential consideration throughout your pet's lifetime. Weight loss or gain, appetite change, activity level, pain, behavioral changes are all parts of quality of life discussion. One of the main recommendations I make is to keep a journal if a client is concerned. Changes in your pet are challenging to see when you are with them every day. On many appointments, I hear, "I didn't notice anything, but my mom/boyfriend/blind grandma said Bella is acting differently.". Keeping a journal allows owners to pick up on subtle differences that might otherwise be missed. I also have owners list what they consider a good quality of life. Growing up, we thought if our English Springer Spaniels could walk in the woods, they would have a good quality of life. For the purse chihuahua that has never touched the ground, a walk in the woods probably doesn't fit. My dog not eating for three days is normal, but decreased appetite can be significant for the chocolate lab that has never missed a meal for the last 12 years.
"How do I know when it's time?" Every veterinarian has this question several times a week. The answer is never straightforward and rarely the same. Keeping a journal and making a list is essential, and your vet will guide you as best as possible, but it is your decision at the end of the day. The diagnosis, cost of treatment or diagnostics, and prognosis are all factors that we try our best to help you navigate. If you don't feel comfortable with how things are going, get a second opinion. All vets are a little different, and I would much rather an owner go to another veterinarian than make a decision that makes them uncomfortable.
When making these tough decisions, it is essential to remember your quality of life as well. Giving an insulin injection twice a day for some is no problem. For others, it can be impossible to do. The owner's financial and emotional cost is always crucial to consider. Recently, I euthanized my border collie that was with me throughout veterinary school and had been with me through difficult times. Over the years, she increasingly became food, crate, and toy aggressive. She was healthy and had an excellent quality of life. But, her two housemates were terrified of her, and she began biting me and my significant other. The household's quality of life had decreased significantly over the years, and we made the most difficult choice I have ever had to make.
"What would you do if it was your pet?" That is an impossible question for us because that is a deeply personal connection with your pet. All we can try is to interpret that bond based on the information and guide you as best as possible.
