The HHHHHMM scale

Lil had a rough start to the week. Her cartrophen took some time to kick in, and she had some epic bowel movements, none of which occurred outdoors, unfortunately. I began to wonder if I was keeping her alive more for myself than for her. I looked online to see how other people had navigated the sea of choices related to euthanasia, and I came across the HHHHHMM scale, developed by Dr. Alice Villalobos, which is a kind of indicator of your pet's quality of life. 

Here it is in a nutshell:
H urt: Is your pet in pain (this includes difficulty breathing)? 1 means your 
         pet is suffering badly, and 10 means there's no pain whatsoever.
H unger: Is your pet eating enough? 1 means not at all and 10 means yes.
H ydration: Is your pet well hydrated? 1 means not at all and 10 means yes.
H ygiene: Is your pet clean? Can they eliminate properly or do they end 
              up sitting in their own waste? Can they groom themelves, or at
              least let you groom them? 
H appiness: Does your pet still respond to toys, family members, and
             activities such as walks? 1 means not at all and 10 means really
             happy.
M obility: Can your pet move around easily? If it requires assistance, does it 
             accept help willingly?
M ore good days than bad: 1 means your pet is suffering from vomiting, 
             diarrhea, weakness, or pain. 10 is for good days. I guess you could 
             get a calendar and put a happy face on the good days, a sad face on
             the bad ones, and tally them up at the end of the month.

A score of 35 or more means your pet has a decent quality of life. (Lil scored 52). I think talking to the vet is important, even though they can't tell you what to do. It's just important not to jump to conclusions when there might be some other form of treatment you can still try. 


As for me and my house, we're doing much better, but I'm still going to be vigilant and observe Lil carefully just in case things change and I notice her suffering. She's not a complainer, so I worry that I'll be unaware if she's hurting. The HHHHHMM scale can totally be used monthly, weekly, or however often you want. I'll let you know how it goes. Fingers and paws crossed...

Lilith at her 15th birthday party