Assessing your pet's quality of life with the R.A.I.N.B.O.W. Scale®
Perhaps one of the most heart wrenching struggles a pet parent faces with an aging or terminally ill pet is determining, "when is it time?" It is a struggle because there is no definitive answer. It is subjective, but it is more than that. It stirs up ethical, moral and spiritual questions. It is complex.
Since the number one question I receive as a pet loss professional is "when is it time?" ... "to end their suffering?" ... "to send them to the rainbow bridge?", I have used the acronym of R.A.I.N.B.O.W. to help pet parents judge their pet's quality of life in a structured way.
Hospice is a philosophy that embraces the notion of living... really living until you die. That is also the goal of pet hospice. Assisting pet parents in achieving the best possible quality of life for your pet is our specialty. We are experts in palliative care and symptom management as a pet's health begins to decline. Pet parents don't want their pet to suffer, but often do not know how to identify when their pet is in pain. There is a good reason for that, pets mask their pain, but pet hospice teaches pet parents how to assess pain and provide brand new non-invasive ways to make their pets feel better and protect their bond. The R.A.I.N.B.O.W. Scale® helps the pet parent assess the quality of their pet's life. Are they really living? They may not be living as they did when they were puppies or kittens, but age is not a disease. With age comes maturity and stability. When we assess the quality of a pet's life, we want to do so in an age appropriate way. With age the pet will slow down naturally and sleep more. Having a safe, secure environment to rest in is one of the great gifts a pet parent can provide a beloved aging pet. - Tammy Wynn, MHA, LISW, RVT, CHPT – Founder & CEO of Angel’s Paws