Hurt - Pain management i Adequate pain control and breathing comfort come first. Rate how well your dog's pain is managed right now. 10 - No pain; comfortable and relaxed 9 - Minimal pain; settles easily 8 - Mild pain; responds well to medication 7 - Occasional mild pain; largely comfortable 6 - Moderate pain managed with regular medication 5 - Pain present; controlled with difficulty 4 - Noticeable pain most of the day 3 - Frequent pain; medication only partially helps 2 - Severe pain; obvious distress and vocalising 1 - Constant severe pain; very little relief 0 - Uncontrolled severe pain; cannot get comfortable
Hunger - Appetite and nutrition i Assess whether your dog eats enough to maintain body condition. Hand-feeding or appetite stimulants count as assistance. 10 - Normal appetite; eats enthusiastically without help 9 - Slightly reduced appetite; eats well with mild encouragement 8 - Moderate appetite; eats when offered special foods 7 - Eats adequately with consistent hand-feeding or coaxing 6 - Eats small amounts; losing some weight 5 - Very little interest; significant weight loss 4 - Eats only if hand-fed with much effort 3 - Rarely eats; severe weight loss obvious 2 - Almost no food intake; visible muscle wasting 1 - Refuses almost all food; severe wasting 0 - Refuses all food; no nutritional intake
Hydration - Water intake i Check gum moisture and skin elasticity. Subcutaneous fluids provided by a vet count as meeting hydration needs. 10 - Drinks normally; well hydrated 9 - Slightly reduced drinking; gums moist 8 - Drinks when encouraged; gums nearly normal 7 - Adequate with encouragement or supplementation 6 - Mildly dehydrated; needs regular prompting 5 - Moderate dehydration; supplementation needed 4 - Noticeably dehydrated; dry gums 3 - Significantly dehydrated despite support 2 - Severely dehydrated; skin tent visible 1 - Very severely dehydrated; immediate risk 0 - Unable to take any fluids; crisis level
Hygiene - Cleanliness and comfort i Consider self-grooming ability, incontinence, coat condition, and whether pressure sores or wound infections are present. 10 - Self-maintains; coat clean and healthy 9 - Minimal assistance needed; largely clean 8 - Light routine cleaning needed; no sores 7 - Regular help needed; kept clean and comfortable 6 - Frequent cleaning required; occasional soiling 5 - Frequent soiling; early pressure sore risk 4 - Persistent soiling; mild pressure sores present 3 - Constant soiling; open or infected sores 2 - Severe hygiene problems despite regular care 1 - Unable to be kept adequately clean; infections 0 - Hygiene cannot be maintained; severe suffering
Happiness - Emotional wellbeing i Look for signs of joy: tail wagging, eye contact, interest in family members, toys, or outings. Anxiety and depression count negatively. 10 - Joyful, engaged, and responsive to family 9 - Mostly happy; occasional quiet spells 8 - Generally content; still seeks affection 7 - Shows interest in surroundings most of the time 6 - Limited joy; content in short bursts 5 - Occasional moments of interest; often quiet 4 - Mostly withdrawn; rare positive responses 3 - Rarely responsive; appears depressed 2 - No apparent joy; avoids interaction 1 - Persistent anxiety, depression, or despair 0 - Unresponsive; no signs of any happiness
Mobility - Physical movement i Assisted movement (harnesses, carts, slings) counts positively if the dog still enjoys being mobile. Score the net experience. 10 - Moves freely and with full ease 9 - Slight stiffness; nearly full movement 8 - Moves with mild effort; enjoys walks 7 - Moves adequately with some assistance 6 - Limited mobility; manages basic needs 5 - Needs regular help; can reposition self 4 - Cannot rise alone; needs physical support 3 - Very limited; mostly recumbent 2 - Nearly immobile; requires lifting for all moves 1 - No purposeful movement; total dependence 0 - Completely immobile; cannot reposition
More good days than bad i Rate the overall balance of good versus difficult days over the past one to two weeks. This is the most holistic single score. 10 - Every day is a good day 9 - Almost all days are good 8 - Most days are clearly good 7 - Good days outnumber bad days 6 - Slightly more good days than bad 5 - Roughly equal good and bad days 4 - Slightly more bad days than good 3 - Mostly difficult days 2 - Almost all days are bad 1 - Every day appears to be a bad day 0 - Continuous suffering with no good moments