Quality-of-Life Scales and How to Use Them

I have mentioned Quality of Life scales a few times already in this series as a tool that can support the good days vs. bad days calendar and help organize what you are already noticing at home. In my practice, I most often point families toward two: the Lap of Love Quality-of-Life Scale and the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center's quality of life assessment. Both are free, well-established, and designed to be used by pet owners without any medical background. Here is what each one offers and how I recommend using them.

What Quality-of-Life Scales Can—and Can't—Tell You

A Quality of Life scale is not a test your pet passes or fails and it is not a substitute for your own observation or for a conversation with your vet. What it does is take the things you already sense, some of which can feel too vague or too emotional to act on, and organizes them into specific categories you can score and track over time. The value is less in any single score and more in the trend across several scorings, and in the conversation the results can open up between you, your family, and your vet. Quality of life assessments are very subjective and the scales try to make it a little more objective, especially during a time when it’s more difficult for us as pet owners to be objective in our observations and decisions. The biggest word of advice when using these scales is to be as honest in your answers as possible. 

The Lap of Love Quality-of-Life Scale

This scale is broken into sections covering your pet's mental health, natural functions like eating and elimination, and general health, along with a separate section that asks you to reflect honestly on your own capacity as a caregiver. That last part is something I appreciate about this tool. It recognizes that quality of life is not only about your pet's condition, but also about whether you have the emotional, physical, and financial resources to keep providing the care your pet needs. Care taker fatigue is a known risk in both human and animal health care and results from the significant physical and emotional requirements of caring for those with health issues. Each item is scored on a simple scale, and the sections are added up into a total that falls into a general range, from adequate quality of life to a range that signals it is time to prepare and lean on support. I encourage families to fill this scale out together when possible since different members of the household often notice different things.

The Ohio State University Quality-of-Life Assessment

This scale takes a slightly different approach, walking through a list of statements about your pet's behavior, comfort, and physical condition, such as whether they are engaging with you the way they used to, resting comfortably, eating and drinking normally, and moving around without help. You rate how strongly each statement fits your pet, from a full-agreement to a full-disagreement. It closes with a simple visual line where you mark, in the moment, where you feel your pet currently falls between poor and good quality of life. I find this version especially useful for pets whose decline is uneven since it walks through nearly every domain of daily function individually rather than combining them into fewer categories.

How Often Should You Complete a Quality-of-Life Scale?

Pick one scale and use it consistently rather than switching back and forth since consistency is what makes the trend visible. Fill it out every few days to once a week, ideally at a similar time of day, since many pets have better and worse hours. Keep the completed copies rather than discarding them, so you can lay them side by side and see the direction things are moving. If you have a partner, adult child, or anyone else closely involved in your pet's care, having them complete it separately and then comparing notes can surface things one person alone might miss.

One Serious Problem Can Matter Even When the Overall Score Looks Good

Both of these scales are designed so that one significant problem, ongoing pain being the clearest example, can represent a real quality of life concern on its own, even if your pet still scores well in other categories. Do not let a reasonable overall number talk you out of a specific concern that is troubling you. If something on the scale stands out to you as a persistent issue, it is worth raising with your vet directly rather than letting it get averaged out by everything that is still going well.

Bring Your Results to Your Veterinarian 

I am always willing to look through a completed scale with pet owners, whichever one you have used, and talk through what the pattern is telling us. Sometimes that conversation confirms there is more good time ahead, perhaps with an adjustment to pain management or daily routine. Other times it confirms what you have already started to suspect. Either way, having the scale in hand tends to make that conversation clearer and less overwhelming for everyone.

You can find the Lap of Love scale at lapoflove.com and the Ohio State University assessment through their Honoring the Bond program at vet.osu.edu. Both assessments are available online for families who would like to use them and available for download below. I can also help you interpret what you're seeing if you'd like an experienced perspective.

→ Lap of Love Quality-of-Life Scale

→ The Ohio State University Quality-of-Life Assessment 

Continue the Quality of Life Education Series:

→ Why Eating Isn't the Whole Picture

→ Common Signs Pets Are Hiding Pain

→ Senior Pet Changes: Normal vs. Concerning

→ Mobility and Arthritis in Aging Pets

→ Caring for Pets With Cognitive Dysfunction

Return to:

→ Senior Pet Quality of Life Guide

→ How Do I Know When It's Time?

→ The Good Days vs. Bad Days Calendar