Senior Dog End of Life Care
The quality of life scale, knowing when it is time, hospice care at home, and the decisions every senior dog family eventually faces. Written carefully.
These are the hardest decisions a dog's family makes, and they get a little easier with structure and honest information rather than guesswork. You do not have to face them alone or all at once.
Our guides walk through each step: the vet-used quality of life scale, how to know when it is time, hospice care at home, and the signs a dog is dying. We write these carefully, and we are not veterinarians.
Dog Hospice Care at Home: A Compassionate Guide to Comfort Care
Updated for 2026. A vet-informed guide to dog hospice care at home, the five pillars of comfort care, what a home hospice setup looks like, and when to ask for help.
13 minSigns Your Dog Is Dying: 10 Physical Signs and What to Do
Updated for 2026. The 10 physical and behavioral signs that signal a dog is approaching natural death, what each means, how to comfort them, and when to call your vet.
12 minHow to Know When It's Time to Put Your Dog Down (5 Signs & a Vet-Used Framework)
Updated for 2026. There's no single sign that tells you it's time to put your dog down. The 5 signals vets consider serious and 6 questions to ask.
11 minQuality of Life Scale for Dogs (HHHHHMM, Vet-Used Tool)
The HHHHHMM Quality of Life Scale for dogs by Dr. Alice Villalobos: score seven factors out of 70, what counts as a good score, and a printable quality of life chart to track your senior dog over time.
8 min