Hickey Home Veterinary Care provides professional quality-of-life assessments for pets in the Phoenix and Scottsdale metro area. Dr. Kyle Hickey, DVM, evaluates your pet's comfort, pain levels, mobility, and overall wellbeing in your home to help you make informed decisions about end-of-life care.
What a Quality of Life Assessment Includes
A quality-of-life assessment is a structured veterinary evaluation that measures multiple dimensions of your pet's daily experience. Dr. Hickey evaluates pain and discomfort levels, mobility and ability to perform normal activities, appetite and hydration, breathing and respiratory comfort, mental awareness and engagement, hygiene and dignity, and the ratio of good days to bad days.
The assessment produces a clear picture of where your pet is on the quality-of-life spectrum, not a subjective opinion but a professional evaluation using established veterinary criteria.
Who This Service Is For
A quality-of-life assessment is for pet owners who are asking "is it time?" — the hardest question any pet owner faces. Specifically, it helps families whose pet has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, whose elderly pet is declining and they're unsure how much discomfort the pet is experiencing, who want professional guidance before making an euthanasia decision, or who have been told by another veterinarian that euthanasia may be appropriate and want a second evaluation.
How It Works
Schedule — Call (480) 806-1888. Let Dr. Hickey know your pet's condition and any diagnoses.
Home Visit — Dr. Hickey comes to your home and observes your pet in their natural environment. This is important — pets often behave differently at home than in a clinic, and a home assessment provides a more accurate picture.
Evaluation — Dr. Hickey performs a thorough assessment using established quality-of-life criteria, examining your pet and talking with you about what you've been observing day to day.
Discussion — Dr. Hickey shares the results with you in plain language. He explains what the assessment shows, what options are available, and what to expect going forward. There is no pressure to make any decision during the visit.
Follow-Up — If the assessment shows your pet still has quality of life, Dr. Hickey provides guidance on what to watch for and when to reassess. If the assessment indicates significant suffering, he discusses euthanasia as an option — at your pace, on your timeline.
Service Area
Quality-of-life assessments are available throughout Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, Cave Creek, and Fountain Hills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I know if my pet needs a quality of life assessment? If you're asking "is it time?" or if you find yourself watching your pet and wondering whether they're suffering, a quality-of-life assessment gives you a professional framework for understanding your pet's experience. It replaces worry with information.
Q: Will Dr. Hickey tell me I have to euthanize my pet? No. The assessment is informational — it helps you understand your pet's comfort level. The decision is always yours. Dr. Hickey provides honest guidance but never pressures families.
Q: Can the assessment be done at the same visit as euthanasia? It can, if that's what the family wants. However, most families schedule the assessment as a standalone visit to give themselves time to process the information and make a decision.
Q: What if the assessment shows my pet still has quality of life? That's a good outcome. Dr. Hickey will provide guidance on comfort care, what signs to watch for, and when to schedule a follow-up assessment. Many families schedule periodic assessments to track quality of life over time.