Quality of life assessment tools for companion animals with chronic disease enable more objective welfare evaluation and support owners in making euthanasia decisions.
Quality of life assessment welfare value lies in providing objective frameworks that help owners move beyond emotional difficulty to welfare-centred decision-making. Owners deeply bonded to a sick pet may struggle to recognise when quality of life has deteriorated to the point where euthanasia is the most compassionate option. Validated assessment tools that score specific welfare-relevant domains provide a systematic approach to evaluation that helps owners see their animal's experience more clearly. Regular assessment across time reveals trends that single evaluations miss and helps owners identify when good days have become outnumbered by bad ones.