Dog Quality of Life Calculator — HHHHHMM Scale
Use the HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale — developed by veterinary oncologist Dr. Alice Villalobos — to score your dog's current wellbeing across seven key criteria and get an objective, compassionate assessment.
Acceptable quality of life
- 1
Pain & nutrition criteria
7 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 28Hurt + Hunger + Hydration + Hygiene - 2
Wellbeing criteria
7 + 7 + 7 = 21Happiness + Mobility + More good days - 3
Total QoL score
28 + 21 = 49
How does this calculator work?
Score seven wellbeing criteria (Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility, More Good Days) from 0–10 each. A total of 35 or above out of 70 indicates acceptable quality of life; below 35 warrants a discussion with your vet about palliative care or humane euthanasia.
Formula
How this is calculated
The HHHHHMM scale was created in 2004 by Dr. Alice Villalobos to give pet owners and veterinarians a structured, repeatable way to assess an ill or aging animal's quality of life. Each of the seven criteria — Hurt (pain control), Hunger (nutritional intake), Hydration (fluid status), Hygiene (cleanliness and skin integrity), Happiness (mental engagement and affect), Mobility (physical capacity), and More Good Days Than Bad (overall trajectory) — is rated from 0 (worst possible) to 10 (no impairment). The seven scores are simply summed for a total out of 70.
A total score of 35 or above is generally considered to indicate an acceptable quality of life, meaning that palliative or supportive care may allow a fulfilling existence. Scores of 50 and above suggest good quality of life. A score below 35 is a signal to have an honest conversation with your veterinarian about whether continued treatment serves the animal's interests, and whether humane euthanasia should be considered.
This tool is a guide, not a diagnosis. Individual circumstances, the rate of decline, the dog's personality, and your vet's clinical judgement all matter. Re-score weekly when managing a serious illness — a trend is more informative than any single reading.
Frequently asked questions
The HHHHHMM scale uses 35 out of 70 as the threshold for acceptable quality of life. A score below 35 — especially if it is falling over time — is a signal to discuss palliative options or euthanasia with your veterinarian.
For a dog with a serious illness or in decline, weekly scoring is recommended so you can track trends rather than reacting to a single bad or good day. A consistent downward trend is more meaningful than one low score.
The HHHHHMM scale was designed for dogs but is widely applied to cats with minor adaptation. For other species, consult a veterinarian for species-appropriate tools.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Dog Quality of Life Calculator — HHHHHMM Scale [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/dog-quality-of-life-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Dog Quality of Life Calculator — HHHHHMM Scale." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/dog-quality-of-life-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Dog Quality of Life Calculator — HHHHHMM Scale," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/dog-quality-of-life-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_dog_quality_of_life_calculator, title = {Dog Quality of Life Calculator — HHHHHMM Scale}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/dog-quality-of-life-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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