We all know that one of the hardest parts of saying goodbye to a pet is making the decision about when or if to help with euthanasia. Clients are often stuck between being the fear of deciding too soon and not wanting it to be too late. Our team is trained to have these quality-of-life conversations with clients. Even though we have never met their pet before, clients expect us to be able to help them in deciding if it’s the right time and we are here to help guide them through the considerations.
To do this, we use a tool called the JOURNEYS Scale. This scale is designed to help an owner rate their pet’s quality of life. Each letter in JOURNEYS stands for a different aspect of quality of life for a pet.
J – Jumping or Mobility
O – Ouch or Pain
U – Uncertainty and Understanding (factors that affect YOU)
R – Respiration or Breathing
N – Neatness or Hygiene
E – Eating and Drinking
Y – You
S – Social Ability
There are many other versions and types of quality of life scales, and all scales provide similar helpful insight for families. These scales can be especially helpful for phone teams to use to help clients walk through each aspect and consider the numeric values. After speaking to the client and hearing their concerns, we will send them this scale to then fill out. If a pet’s quality of life is changing daily, then taking this scale daily would be recommended. And, if a pet is still feeling well, it can be helpful for clients to fill out a scale to use as a baseline to help them stay aware of upcoming changes. It can also be helpful for couples or families who aren’t yet in full agreement, as this tool can serve as an objective measurement and conversation guide.
We have found that the quality of life scale helps clients to feel more at peace with making the decision. The scale and it’s score provide them with a navigation tool, something outside of themselves that helps them know if they are on the right track.
Bearing the full responsibility for making this incredibly painful and important decision for their pet can feel overwhelming. For many families, these decisions are new and unfamiliar, and they may be afraid that they are missing something important. Sometimes, they may even know in their hearts that it’s time to help their pet, but they want permission or affirmation. While we can’t answer this question for them, we can provide an objective tool that can help validate a client’s decision and guide them in the right direction.