Development of an instrument to assess the quality of life of pet dogs

In their assessment of an animal's suffering, veterinarians are trained to focus on the state of the animal's body, therefore insufficient consideration may be given to the animal's state of the mind and the extent to which its nature is satisfied. The Canine Quality of Life Questionnaire (C-QOL-Q) was developed to encourage a systematic and holistic assessment of pet dogs' QOL. Following objective list theory, the underlying premise was that, for optimal QOL, a pet dog requires the following: predictability of basic needs, high degree of biological functioning, opportunities for pleasure, satisfaction of telos needs, and minimal distress.

The C-QOL-Q consisted of a pre-tested, telephone-administered questionnaire soliciting information about the above factors, with emphasis on the mental and natural aspects of QOL. There were three types of questions: descriptive, linking, and QOL questions. Response options for the QOL questions were mutually exclusive. They were coded to provide 4 ordered grades of QOL: "O" was the highest, and "C" the lowest. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).