A senior dog and a difficult decision

Setting: Veterinary quality-of-life consultation

The patient is Tess, a fourteen-year-old terrier, accompanied by owner June. June reports declining mobility over two months and variable appetite but still sees enjoyment during brief garden visits; today’s consultation reviews comfort and options rather than presuming a prognosis.

Task

Explore comfort, appetite, mobility and valued activities.
Acknowledge family pressure without coercing a decision.
Compare further investigation and comfort-focused options with their limits.
Agree review and a contact route for deterioration without predicting exact lifespan.

A senior dog and a difficult decision consultation plan

The consultation reviews observed comfort, appetite, mobility and activities the owner considers meaningful.
Further investigation and comfort-focused options can be discussed with their burdens and limits.
No option guarantees a particular remaining lifespan.
A planned review and a contact route for deterioration should be agreed; no decision is imposed by the card.
The patient is Tess, a fourteen-year-old terrier, accompanied by owner June. June reports declining mobility over two months and variable appetite but still sees enjoyment during brief garden visits; today’s consultation reviews comfort and options rather than presuming a prognosis.

Fictional scenario information supplied for this examination exercise; not medical guidance for real patients.