We put our beloved Sasha down 2 weeks ago. She was a 14.5 Labrador Retriever, and was everything we could want in a dog. The scale doesn't take into account dogs like retrievers who up until the very end will eat like it's their first meal in months, and drink water because they are sure that the water system in the U.S. is about to dry up. Had to give her "10's" on both, which made her score 39. Not enough to pull the plug, according to this. But it was time. No, she didn't have bed sores because although she couldn't move her hind legs for a few days, we just didn't let it get to that point, and her hygiene was manageable. We didn't let her mind go completely - all of this gave her a "higher" score. She still had some joy on the last day I spent with her. Laying in the grass for the day, eating Costco chicken and pretzels. Of course, I see the point of this scale. But it can't substitute for the decision that a pet owner must make (and the help of a sensitive vet) as to what is in the best interest of their beloved pet, their own beloved Sasha.

My beloved 13 yr old Abyssinian cat had lymphoma and hung on quite well for 2 months with steroids that made him comfortable and kept his appetite stable. I decided to put him down probably several weeks before absolutely necessary because I used the lessons I learned from the deaths of my previous 2 cats: They have had happy lives and have never known fear, danger, hunger or pain. And I want them to leave this world while their lives are still that way. It's been a good yardstick for making this very painful decision. I have yet to regret letting them go a little bit early before they seemed to be suffering.

I just completed this questionnaire, adapting it slightly, for my mother at her end-of-life, when she was suffering greatly. She would have scored a 17 but did not live in a stare where asissted suicide was available. It feels cruel that our pets can get relief from their suffering, but our human loved ones often can’t.

I see nothing here about weighing financial constraints. Considering the ability of modern medicine to prolong life and the attending costs, this seems like a major omission in this scale. What is too much: $1500 per year for insulin and needles? $12,000 for a recommended surgery? Both of these decisions could have life-or-death implications when applying your scale, so it is surprising that this issue doesn't merit even a mention.

In a perfect world, we’d be able to assess our pet’s quality of life objectively, but sometimes we see only what we want to see. This is even more true if the pet is younger, and dying slowly. Where is that line when you’re keeping your pet alive more for you than her? With my last dog, I knew I was choosing not to see how much her quality of life had deteriorated because she wasn’t old. I don’t recall if it was this tool or another like it that made me face reality, but I’m grateful all the same. It didn’t make the decision any easier, but it did make it clear to me that keeping my dog alive was more about me not being able to let go than what was best for her. The decision was still hard, but it was time, and it was the right decision, however painful.

We moved into a house with a feral cat that had been receiving food regularly. We continued the feeding for two years. Late this fall, the cat was obviously failing. During a particularly cold, windy storm when we opened the door to feed her and she felt the warm air, she walked into our house. She curled up in a protected corner and stayed there until she died a week later. Through the whole process we debated taking the cat to the vet. Would the trauma this cause the cat overcome the benefit?

A vet once told me that the way he decided for his own pets was that he looked at three things: 1) Is the dog able to/wanting to eat? 2) Is the dog able to/wanting to go outside? 3) Is the dog happy to see you? He said when two of the three were no longer happening, it was time. A lot simpler, but it made sense to me.

So many people I know do not want to put down their pet when the time has obviously come. No scale needed if you know your animal. They keep the poor thing alive despite all signs. Selfish. A proper euthanasia is the last responsibility any pet owner has. Alive and suffering is not to be done.

Thank you for the Scale. My soon to be 15 yr. old pitbull scored 64. She has me worried but she lives by habits.