SCORE

1.     How is your pet’s appetite/calorie intake?

10 = eating all of normally fed dry/wet/homemade food quickly and/or completely when offered 
  5 = eating only 50% of normal, more treats or human food have to be offered to get pet to eat
  0 = anorexic, not eating at all even if treats or human food offered; or pet always vomits immediately after eating

2.     Is your pet drinking and normally hydrated?

10 = normal water intake
  5 = 50% of normal water intake,  e.g. pet is withdrawn, hiding, bowl has to be brought to pet / vomits daily
  0 = not drinking at all even when bowl brought to pet, or pet always vomits right after drinking

3.     Is your pet’s skin normal and hair/coat clean?

10 = normal clean fur, not matted, normal skin, no itchiness or  infection
  5 = dirty or matted coat; allergic/itchy skin disease not responding to medication or not on medication
  0 = very dirty coat with diarrhea or urine soaked in fur; pressure sores have developed; severe itchiness/generalized allergic skin disease

4.     Does your pet eliminate normally?

10 = still has urinations and bowel movements outside unassisted or uses litter box normally
  5 = has accidents in the house a few times a week
  0 = pet is incontinent/eliminates in the house every day; eliminates where it is lying and cannot move away from it

5.     Does your pet have any cognitive impairment or behavioural changes, i.e. is your pet interacting normally with family members, happy, greeting them, recognizing them?

10 =  always bright, alert and happy
  5 = quiet and alert, but subdued; sometimes seems disoriented; whining or vocalizing frequently; extreme anxiety
  0 = hiding in unusual areas, pet isolating itself; standing and staring off into space, mostly disoriented; depressed, not even lifting head to acknowledge anyone;  irritable, snapping at or has bitten someone which is out of character

6.     Can your pet still do its favourite things? E.g. playing with toys, riding in the car, etc.

10 = stills plays with toys every day, voluntarily gets them, eager to play fetch etc.
  5 = occasionally shows interest in playing
  0 = no interest at all in playing fetch or toys anymore; decreased strength/mobility prevents usual activities.

7.     Can your pet stand up unassisted?

10 = pet has normal ability to rise unassisted from carpeted areas or floors
  5 = needs help only on floors
  0 = needs complete assistance e.g. a support sling to get standing onto all 4 feet

8.     How is your pet's mobility? Can your pet walk unassisted? Can your pet climb stairs/jump up on furniture or get in/out of litterbox?

10 = pet has normal gait, no lameness, no assistance required; dog goes for 15 minute walks or longer, has normal ability to climb up/down stairs, can get on favourite couch or owner's bed, cat has no problems getting in/out of litter box.
  5 = stiff or wobbly gait but can move around; pet usually needs support sling; dog can only go for shorter walks e.g. 5 – 10 minutes; pet has moderate difficulty going up or down stairs, getting on furniture; cat had difficulty going in/out of litter box
  0 = pet cannot walk at all, even if assisted to stand and supported with a sling; without sling support collapses; can no longer do stairs or get up on furniture; cannot climb in/out of litter box/cannot do stairs to get to litter box

9.  Has your pet ever fallen or collapsed?

10 = pet has never collapsed or fallen
  5 = occasionally falls or collapses a few times a week due to slippery floors or wooden stairs or icy conditions outside
  0 = falls or collapses daily, especially on floors and stairs; dog is very heavy and owner has trouble lifting back up

10.  Does your pet have any respiratory difficulties, i.e. increased breathing rate, coughing or panting?

10 = normal breathing, only pants if hot or after exercising, no coughing
  5 = coughs during exertion/walks or pants excessively for a long time afterwards; several coughing episodes daily
  0 = rapid breathing/panting all the time or open mouth breathing in cats (Open mouth breathing in cats is an emergency !!)

11.  Is your pet in pain? Refer to the BEAP Pain Assessment*. If your pet is in severe pain then the quality of life (QOL)  is zero. So the greater the BEAP pain score, the lower the QOL score.  Severe pain is rated at 10/10 on BEAP chart, therefore give a score of 0/10 on the quality of life score.  Moderate pain 5/10 on BEAP, so QOL + 5/10.  No pain = 0/10  on BEAP chart, so QOL = 10/10 i.e. normal.

IF YOU GAVE A SCORE OF 5 OR LESS TO QUESTIONS 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 YOUR PET IS MOST LIKELY EXPERIENCING PAIN AND, IF NOT ALREADY BEING USED, ANALGESIC MEDICATION SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN AS A PALLIATIVE OPTION
10 = pet has been assessed by a veterinarian as not having any painful medical conditions; no pain medication required
  5 = pet has a known condition which is painful such as arthritis and has improved,  but not completely normal on pain medication
  0 = pet is on appropriate pain medication recommended or prescribed by a veterinarian** and still only scores 0 – 2 on above questions
  0 = not on pain medication for acute severe injury, pancreatitis, aggressive malignant tumours, (especially of oral cavity or bone cancer of limbs)     *Go to www.mehiveterinarymobile.com > "How do I know when it's time?" > BEAP Pain Assessment Charts for Cats and Dogs.

12.  Can all family members who are home at any given time during the day or night provide equal palliative care to the pet?

10 = every adult in the family who is home with the pet can give food, medications, and assist with mobility
  5 = sometimes the only family member home cannot meet all the pet’s needs, e.g. someone who cannot lift a large dog to assist it to go outside for elimination
  0 = the primary pet owners are physically or mentally unable to provide adequate care for the pet