Canine and feline quality of life assessment in veterinary intensive care units

• Grant number: 11/50490-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2011
• End date: June 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Silvia Renata Gaido Cortopassi
• Grantee: Silvia Renata Gaido Cortopassi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The closer proximity between humans and their pets, coupled with recent advances in health, favored the emergence of veterinary intensive care units. ln this context, as well as in human medicine, there was a concem to maintain acceptable levels of quality of life to critically ill patients under intensive care. Thus, diagnosing the low quality of life is the first step to improving it through health services or social environmental improvements, and assists the decision of euthanasia. Based on this hypothesis, this study proposes to develop and validate a scale of quality of life to dogs and cats under intensive care and to verify which factors influence it. (AU)