Although it might seem highly subjective to think we can determine the quality of life for our companions this term is used quite often by veterinarians and studies were made to assess the happiness of a pet. Let us find out what the criteria are for this and learn more about how to measure the quality life for your pet.
The thing we consider when wondering if a pet is happy is whether or not he has enough food but there are some pets in which the ability to eat is hindered (or the appetite), so we should instead ask ourselves “can the pet consume enough food?”
Mobility, and the lack of it, is much more problematic for a pet than it is for a human being. If a pet can’t move due to age or lose the ability to jump this is one degree of the problem, but if all the actions are impaired then you should be certain that you aren’t looking at a happy pet.
Relationships are really important especially when it comes to canines since they are really social animals and if they have no company, either human or animal, then they will lack one of the most significant elements of a life, namely interaction. They might be healthy enough to play but if there is no one to play with what is the point?
Healthy and happy animals usually like to play with the persons they care about and their disposition for this activity should be indicative of their overall mood and disposition. When their attitude changes there might be some physical problem that makes them feel uncomfortable, so make sure you are paying attention to their behavior.
Discomfort is something that animals usually try to hide as a defense mechanism so it might be difficult to notice that something is wrong. A change in posture or expression will give the pain away as well as their tendency to stay in their safe place more than is normal.
They do this because they want to be less exposed to other animals when they feel vulnerable. See if they act as they usually did when you touch them and check on their breathing as well as all the things mentioned above.
These are the most important elements that define a pet’s quality of life and it is used by veterinarians to determine the outcome of elderly, sick of injured pets which might have to go through serious struggles to get better.
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