Dog Quality of Life Scale

Evaluate your senior or terminally ill dog's daily well-being using the HHHHHMM scale.

HHHHHMM Scale Assessment

Hurt

Pain controlled? Breathing okay?

Hunger

Eating enough? Assistance needed?

Hydration

Dehydrated? Fluids needed?

Hygiene

Grooming? Pressure sores? Soiling?

Happiness

Joy in activities? Anxious?

Mobility

Can move without assistance?

More Good Days

Good days > bad days?

Well-being Assessment

35/ 70

Total QoL Score

Developed by Dr. Alice Villalobos.

Care RecommendationAcceptable Quality of Life

Life Quality Profile

Higher scores toward the edge indicate better quality of life in that category.

The HHHHHMM Scale

The HHHHHMM scale (Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility, More Good Days) was developed by Dr. Alice Villalobos. It provides a structured way for pet families to assess geriatric or terminally ill pets. A score of 35 or higher is generally considered an 'acceptable' quality of life for continued pet hospice or palliative care.

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Pro Tips

Add water to food or use pet fountains to encourage senior hydration.
Use yoga mats or rugs on slippery floors to improve senior traction.
Heated beds assist with arthritic joint pain during colder nights.
Senior dogs with dementia benefit from a very strict daily routine.

Fun Facts

"The HHHHHMM scale was originally published in 2004 for veterinary oncology."
"Dogs age faster physiologically as giant breeds compared to small ones, reaching 'senior' years much earlier."
"A quality-of-life diary is often more accurate than a single snapshot, as it tracks the trend over weeks."
"Dr. Villalobos often calls this approach 'Pawspice' – a combination of palliative care and terminal support."
"Chronic pain in dogs is often shown through subtle behavior changes rather than vocalization (whining)."

Formula: Total = Sum of all 7 categories (0-10 each)

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