Quality of life assessment in dogs and cats receiving chemotherapy – a review of current methods

This study aimed to review currently reported methods of assessing the effects of chemotherapy on the quality of life (QoL) of canine and feline patients and to explore novel ways to assessQoLin such patients in the light of the experience to date in human pediatric oncology. A qualitative comparative analysis of published papers on the effects of chemotherapy onQoLin dogs and cats were conducted. This was supplemented with a comparison of the parameters and domains used in veterinaryQoL‐assessments with those used in the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) questionnaire designed to assessQoLin toddlers. Each of the identified publications includingQoL‐assessment in dogs and cats receiving chemotherapy applied a different method ofQoL‐assessment. In addition, the veterinaryQoL‐assessments were mainly focused on physical clinical parameters, whereas the emotional (6/11), social (4/11) and role (4/11) domains were less represented.QoL‐assessment of cats and dogs receiving chemotherapy is in its infancy. The most commonly reported method to assessQoLwas questionnaire based and mostly included physical and clinical parameters. Standardizing and including a complete range of potentially relevant parameters in futureQoLassessments may benefit owner decision making.