Pet Quality-of-Life Calculator
Score your dog or cat from 0 to 10 across the seven areas vets use — the HHHHHMM scale — and see where things stand. A total above roughly 35 out of 70 suggests a quality of life worth continuing to support. It's a way to turn a wave of emotion into something you can look at with your vet. It is not a verdict.
What the seven areas mean
The scale was created by veterinary oncologist Dr. Alice Villalobos. Each area is scored 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal):
- Hurt — is pain controlled, and is breathing okay? Trouble breathing outweighs everything else.
- Hunger — is your pet eating enough, with or without help?
- Hydration — drinking enough, or needing fluids?
- Hygiene — can they be kept clean and free of sores?
- Happiness — do they still show interest, joy, and response?
- Mobility — can they get up and move, with or without help?
- More good days than bad — over the past week, did the good days win?
How to use it
Score honestly, ideally over several days rather than one hard moment, and have more than one person in the household score on their own. Watching the trend — is the total drifting down week over week? — tells you more than any single day. A very low score in any one area, especially pain or breathing, matters on its own, whatever the total.
What your score means
Above roughly 35 out of 70 suggests a quality of life worth continuing to support with good care. A consistently lower total is a signal to talk with your vet soon. But the number is a conversation-starter, not a decision — the choice is always yours and your vet's together. If you'd like more on weighing it, see our guides on when it's time to put your dog down and the signs of decline in dogs and cats.
Quality-of-life scale adapted from the HHHHHMM scale by Dr. Alice Villalobos. This tool is general information, not veterinary advice, and can't replace an exam by a vet who knows your pet.