Free · Behavior-Based · Vet-Designed
Pet Quality of Life Calculator
36 real, observable behaviors. 6 veterinary dimensions. A free, behavior-based assessment for dogs and cats — designed by a licensed DVM with 25+ years in veterinary medicine and extensive end-of-life experience.
No abstract ratings. No account needed. Just honest answers about what you can actually see.
Start the Quality of Life Check →How do I know if my pet is suffering?
Your pet is likely suffering if they have stopped doing the things that made them themselves. Not eating, not greeting you, not engaging with their environment, struggling to stand, hiding, or showing signs of unmanaged pain — these are the clearest signals that quality of life has declined.
The Dr. Rosie DVM Pet Quality of Life Check assesses 36 specific observable behaviors across 6 veterinary dimensions to give you a structured, clinical picture — so you can have a real conversation with your vet instead of describing a feeling.
It is free, takes about 10 minutes, and requires no account. Thousands of pet families have used it to navigate one of the hardest decisions of their lives.
The 6 dimensions we assess
Each dimension contains specific, observable behaviors — not abstract 1–10 ratings.
The Bond
Does your pet still recognize you? Do they seek you out? Connection is one of the strongest quality-of-life signals.
The Spark
Personality, curiosity, and engagement. Does your pet still act like themselves — even a little?
Physical Comfort
Pain signals, breathing, posture, and ease of movement. Managed pain is livable; unmanaged pain is not.
Daily Life
Eating, drinking, mobility, and dignity. The basics of a life worth living.
The Trend
Are things getting better, staying the same, or declining? Trajectory matters as much as today's snapshot.
Caregiver Wellbeing
Your exhaustion and emotional state are part of the picture. Caregiver burnout affects both of you — and it deserves to be named.
Why this is better than the HHHHHMM scale
The Villalobos HHHHHMM scale — the most widely used quality of life tool — asks you to rate categories like “Hurt” or “Happiness” on a 1-to-10 scale. This is highly subjective. A 6 for one person is an 8 for another. It also asks you to rate things you may not be able to accurately observe, like internal pain levels.
The Dr. Rosie DVM Quality of Life Check asks about specific, observable behaviors — things you can actually see your pet doing or not doing. “Does your pet greet you when you come home?” is answerable. “Rate your pet's happiness from 1–10” is not.
It also includes caregiver burnout detection — because your mental and emotional state matters, and no other public QoL tool addresses it.
Common questions
Is my pet suffering or just slowing down with age?
Slowing down is normal aging. Suffering is different — it involves unmanaged pain, inability to find comfort, loss of dignity, or inability to experience joy. The distinction matters enormously for end-of-life decisions, and the Quality of Life Check helps you see the difference clearly.
How often should I assess my pet's quality of life?
For pets with serious illness or advanced age, monthly assessments are useful for tracking trends. For pets with a recent diagnosis or rapid decline, weekly. The trend over time is often more meaningful than any single assessment.
Can I use this for both dogs and cats?
Yes. The assessment is validated for companion animals and uses behaviors common to both dogs and cats. Some behaviors may be less applicable depending on your pet's species or baseline personality — use your judgment.
What do I do with the results?
Use them as a starting point for a conversation with your veterinarian. The score is not a diagnosis or a directive — it is a structured picture of where your pet is right now, designed to make that conversation more concrete and less overwhelming.
Designed by a DVM. Free for everyone.
Dr. Rosemary Stolzer-Bolton is a licensed Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) with over 25 years in veterinary medicine. She designed this tool because she saw too many families making the hardest decision of their lives with only a 7-category abstract scale and a lot of guilt.
Quality of life assessment should be behavior-based, compassionate, and free. That is what this is.