Quality of Life Measurement in Dogs and Cats: A Scoping Review of Generic Tools

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Quality of life (QoL) assessment tools play an important role in veterinary medicine by optimising companion animal welfare and directing treatment decisions. No distinct guidelines are currently available for tool design and appraisal. Nine published generic QoL assessment tools designed for use in dogs and cats were compared to each other. Each tool was uniquely individual in terms of structural design, psychometric evaluation and statistical analysis. Although each tool was unique, the majority assessed similar aspects of dog and cat QoL, namely activity level, the desire for interaction and appetite. These findings provide a reference point for future tool development by emphasizing the need for more consistency in reporting methodology and statistical validation, as well as highlighting potential valuable aspects of QoL in dogs and cats. ABSTRACT: Quality of life (QoL) assessment in companion animals is an essential aspect of veterinary medicine that helps guide treatment decisions and ensures optimal animal welfare. Veterinarians and pet owners can use disease-specific or generic QoL assessment tools to evaluate an individual animal’s QoL. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and assess published generic QoL assessment tools suitable for use in either dogs or cats. A literature search identified 82 relevant publications, nine of which contained appropriate generic QoL assessment tools in accordance with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Each tool was assessed for evidence of psychometric evaluation including statistical analysis, reliability and validity. Commonly included items were determined to highlight potential important aspects of dog or cat QoL. Five of the nine publications used a statistical method such as factor analysis to determine tool design and structure. Although at least one aspect of reliability and validity was assessed for seven of the tools, none were validated across all measures. Two of the publications contained minimal to no statistical analysis. Common items for both dogs and cats included those regarding activity level, the desire for interaction and appetite. In addition, common items for cats included those regarding mood and grooming. This scoping review identified and evaluated currently available generic QoL assessment tools, providing a reference point for future tool development and validation.