Alice Villalobos, DVM, is an oncology veterinarian in Hermosa Beach, CA. She has dedicated much of her career to helping pet owners manage end-of-life issues for their pets. In fact, she created an animal hospice program she named “pawspice,” which focuses on extending a pet’s quality of life. To help owners make these tough decisions, Villalobos created a decision tool based on seven letters, often called the HHHHHMM scale, based on the first letter of each indicator . It helps owners rate hurt, hunger, hydration, hygiene, happiness, mobility and more. Link to tool.
Source: New York Times, March 19, 2019. Link. “Natural death, as much as many people wish it would happen, may not be kind and may not be easy and may not be peaceful,” Dr. Villalobos said. “Most people would prefer to assure a peaceful passing. You’re just helping the pet separate the pack just as he would have done in nature.
INSIGHTS: The HHHHHMM scale is an excellent, interactive tool owners and veterinarians can use together to make end-of-life decisions. Read how it and veterinarian input helped the author of this article determine when to let her dog go.