Assessment of companion animal quality of life in veterinary practice and research

Yeates, James; Main, Dcj

doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.2009.00755.x

Cited by 115 publications

(118 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Unfortunately, a gold standard for assessing QOL in companion animals has yet to be established. 29 Regardless, results of the present study indicated that the owner-perceived long-term QOL did not differ significantly between dogs with ischemic myelopathy and dogs with ANNPE. It is possible that the clinical status of the 7 dogs that were euthanized within 2 weeks after the presumptive diagnosis and excluded from the outcome analysis might have improved had they not been euthanized.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Comparison of clinical signs and outcomes between dogs with presumptive ischemic myelopathy and dogs with acute noncompressive nucleus pulposus extrusion

Fenn¹,

Drees²,

Volk³

et al. 2016

javma

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OBJECTIVE To compare clinical signs and outcomes between dogs with presumptive ischemic myelopathy and dogs with presumptive acute noncompressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE). DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS 51 dogs with ischemic myelopathy and 42 dogs with ANNPE examined at 1 referral hospital. PROCEDURES Medical records and MRI sequences were reviewed for dogs with a presumptive antemortem diagnosis of ischemic myelopathy or ANNPE. Information regarding signalment, clinical signs at initial examination, and short-term outcome was retrospectively retrieved from patient records. Long-term outcome information was obtained by telephone communication with referring or primary-care veterinarians and owners. RESULTS Compared with the hospital population, English Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Border Collies were overrepresented in the ischemic myelopathy and ANNPE groups, respectively. Dogs with ANNPE were significantly older at disease onset and were more likely to have a history of vocalization at onset of clinical signs, have spinal hyperesthesia during initial examination, have a lesion at C1-C5 spinal cord segments, and be ambulatory at hospital discharge, compared with dogs with ischemic myelopathy. Dogs with ischemic myelopathy were more likely to have a lesion at L4-S3 spinal cord segments and have long-term fecal incontinence, compared with dogs with ANNPE. However, long-term quality of life and outcome did not differ between dogs with ischemic myelopathy and dogs with ANNPE. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results revealed differences in clinical signs at initial examination between dogs with ischemic myelopathy and dogs with ANNPE that may aid clinicians in differentiating the 2 conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Comparison of clinical signs and outcomes between dogs with presumptive ischemic myelopathy and dogs with acute noncompressive nucleus pulposus extrusion

Fenn¹,

Drees²,

Volk³

et al. 2016

javma

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“…Yeates and Main [41] advocate that a quality of life assessment should be included by the veterinary team when considering therapeutic options for animals suffering from malignant neoplasia. Integrating Quality of Life (QOL) assessments can inform owner decision making, to ensure an ethical balance between quality and quantity of life is achieved, and the welfare of the animal affected is fully considered [40,41]. The quality of life process can also provide a baseline measure for subsequent assessments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Which Influence Owners When Deciding to Use Chemotherapy in Terminally Ill Pets

Williams

Phillips

Byrd

2017

Animals

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Simple SummaryCancer is as common amongst pets as it in humans. Chemotherapy can be integrated into treatment regimes for terminally ill pets to attempt to shrink tumours to extend life expectancy, but it does not cure cancer and it can have negative side effects including vomiting, depression and behavioral changes. To date, little research has been undertaken to explore owners’ decisions whether or not to treat their animals with chemotherapy. Seventy-eight dog and cat owners completed an online questionnaire to determine if they would opt for chemotherapy if their pet was diagnosed with cancer, and asked how they thought their pet’s quality of life would be affected. Fifty-eight percent of respondents would not use chemotherapy largely due to their previous experience of it. Seventy-two percent over estimated pet survival time post chemotherapy, with most people believing it would lead to remission or a cure. Owners expected their pets to be less active, sleep more and play less, reducing their quality of life. Common side effects associated with chemotherapy were not rated as acceptable. The results suggest pet owners would benefit from an increased understanding of the positive and negative impacts of chemotherapy when initially discussing treatment options with the veterinary team.AbstractChemotherapy is a commonly integrated treatment option within human and animal oncology regimes. Limited research has investigated pet owners’ treatment decision-making in animals diagnosed with malignant neoplasia. Dog and cat owners were asked to complete an online questionnaire to elucidate factors which are key to the decision making process. Seventy-eight respondents completed the questionnaire in full. Fifty-eight percent of pet owners would not elect to treat pets with chemotherapy due to the negative impact of the associated side effects. Seventy-two percent of respondents over estimated pet survival time post chemotherapy, indicating a general perception that it would lead to remission or a cure. Vomiting was considered an acceptable side effect but inappetence, weight loss and depression were considered unacceptable. Owners did expect animals’ to be less active, sleep more and play less, but common side effects were not rated as acceptable despite the potential benefits of chemotherapy. Based on the results, veterinary teams involved with oncology consultations should establish if clients have prior experience of cancer treatments and their expectations of survival time. Quality of life assessments should also be implemented during initial oncology consultations and conducted regularly during chemotherapy courses to inform client decision making and to safe guard animal welfare.

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“…Assessments of quality of life, using unique characteristics and traits of animals, in concert with clinical and physiological changes to facilitate the decision-making process concerning the timing of euthanasia, is being utilised by some veterinarians in private practice (Villalobos 2004; Oyama et al 2008; Yeates & Main 2009; Lynch et al 2011). As an example, upon diagnosing a pet with a terminal condition or a chronically debilitating disease, some veterinarians suggest to the animal’s owners that they work at compiling a list of behaviours and traits that they feel define a good quality of life for their pet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishing ‘quality of life’ parameters using behavioural guidelines for humane euthanasia of captive non-human primates

et al. 2013

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Chronic pain and distress are universally accepted conditions that may adversely affect an animal’s quality of life (QOL) and lead to the humane euthanasia of an animal. At most research institutions and zoological parks in the USA, a veterinarian, who has physically examined the animal and reviewed the clinical records, ultimately decides when an animal has reached a humane endpoint. To aid in the difficult process of interpreting pain and distress, we have developed specific behavioural guidelines, in addition to standard clinical information, to help define unique characteristics and traits of primates to assess and promote discussion of an individual primate’s QOL, and thereby, to assist in the decision-making process regarding euthanasia. These guidelines advocate the creation of a QOL team when the animal is diagnosed with a life-threatening or debilitating chronic condition, or at the time the animal is entered into a terminal study. The team compiles a list of characteristics unique to that individual animal by utilising a questionnaire and a behavioural ethogram. This list enables the team to quantitatively assess any deviations from the established normal behavioural repertoire of that individual. Concurrently, the QOL team determines the number of behavioural deviations that are needed to trigger an immediate discussion of the necessity for humane euthanasia of the animal. The team remains intact once created, and revisits the animal’s condition as frequently as deemed necessary. This process improves animal welfare by continuing the quest to optimally define QOL for captive primates, and potentially for all captive animals.

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Assessment of companion animal quality of life in veterinary practice and research

Cited by 115 publications

References 71 publications

Comparison of clinical signs and outcomes between dogs with presumptive ischemic myelopathy and dogs with acute noncompressive nucleus pulposus extrusion

Comparison of clinical signs and outcomes between dogs with presumptive ischemic myelopathy and dogs with acute noncompressive nucleus pulposus extrusion

Factors Which Influence Owners When Deciding to Use Chemotherapy in Terminally Ill Pets

Establishing ‘quality of life’ parameters using behavioural guidelines for humane euthanasia of captive non-human primates

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