- Mars Petcare Researchers Develop New Quality of Life Assessment to Evaluate 
the Wellbeing of Dogs

Researchers from Mars Petcare, including Waltham Petcare Science Institute and 
Banfield Pet Hospital(R), developed a quality of life (QoL) assessment that 
evaluates dog health and wellbeing. The assessment is based on a 32-item 
questionnaire for pet owners to report on their dog's behaviours and activity. 
When processed, survey results provide a multi-faceted view of a dog's health 
and wellbeing, covering domains such as energy levels, happiness, mobility, 
sociability, and appetite. A new study published in Scientific Reports supports 
the validity of this QoL assessment for measuring and quantifying canine health 
and wellbeing.

"Wellbeing is a focal point for dog owners and veterinary professionals alike," 
said Nefertiti Greene, President, Science & Diagnostics, Mars Petcare. "This 
assessment will allow us to consistently capture dog health and wellbeing data 
which has been proven to provide scientifically validated insights into pets' 
health, ultimately advancing our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS."

In the paper [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-16315-y], the 
assessment's validity was studied by contrasting the owner survey results to 
Banfield medical records of the dogs studied. For example, energy and mobility 
scores were reduced in dogs with osteoarthritis; sociability and happiness 
domain scores were reduced with the advancing life stage of the dog and the 
presence of chronic diseases; and appetite scores were reduced in dogs with 
chronic dental disease. Results from the study also suggest this assessment can 
identify general malaise that could otherwise have been undetected when a dog 
is suffering from underlying pain that may not be easily identifiable.

"From a veterinarian's perspective, the QoL assessment will deliver valuable 
information on how veterinary care can help improve pet outcomes," said 
Jennifer Welser, DVM, DACVO, Chief Medical Officer, Mars Veterinary Health. 
"Based on these insights, we have the potential to understand which treatments 
and interventions positively impact pet health and wellbeing and improve 
communication with pet owners about the health of their pet."

Pending further validation, this QoL assessment can be used as the basis for 
digital tools to help dog owners and veterinary teams better track dog 
wellbeing throughout all stages of a dog's life. 

For more information on the assessment and the study visit 
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-16315-y.

About the QoL assessment and study

- The QoL questionnaire quantifies dog health and wellbeing across five daytime 
domains and three mealtime domains. The daytime domains are classified as 
energetic (the dog's level of activity); mobile (underlying mechanistic 
ability); relaxed (general calmness and absence of fear and worry); happy 
(absence of a sad and depressed demeanor); and sociable (affectionate and 
loving behavior towards owners and other pets). The mealtime domains are 
classified as relaxed (calm behavior around the meal as evidenced by the 
absence of stress); interested (interest and excitement for the meal); and 
satisfied (extent to which the dog is full or satisfied after the meal).

- The objective of the study was to develop a comprehensive canine quality of 
life assessment which can serve a wide range of applications and is amenable to 
large-scale data collection.

- Data from 2813 dogs were used to develop the QoL assessment, which makes it 
the biggest study of its kind to date and ensures that the assessment is 
suitable for use in the general population of dogs.

About Mars Petcare

At Mars Petcare [https://www.mars.com/made-by-mars/petcare] we have one 
purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™. Through comprehensive veterinary care, 
nutrition, breakthrough programs in diagnostics, wearable health monitoring, 
DNA testing and pet welfare we help pets in more than 130 countries. For 
decades we've supported research into the incredible science of human animal 
interaction at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute [https://www.waltham.com/] 
where scientists discover important advances in pet health and wellness. Mars 
Petcare is part of Mars, Incorporated [https://www.mars.com/], a global, 
family-owned business with a focus on becoming Sustainable in a Generation 
[https://www.mars.com/sustainability-plan]. Follow us on Instagram 
[https://www.instagram.com/mars_petcare/] and LinkedIn 
[https://www.linkedin.com/uas/login?session_redirect=%2Fshowcase%2F7794150].

About Waltham Petcare Science Institute 

Waltham is the science centre for Mars Petcare. Our research teams work across 
multiple disciplines such as nutrient requirements for pets, the dog and cat 
microbiome, biomarkers of health and disease, and feeding behaviour. We also 
support research in partnership with organisations around the world to 
understand how our relationship with pets can help both pets and their owners 
to live healthy, happy lives together. The knowledge generated at Waltham is 
vital in bringing to life the Mars Petcare purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. We 
take pride in sharing our key findings with the scientific community, enabling 
pets around the world to benefit from our work. Since our first scientific 
paper over 50 years ago, we have shared our expertise through over 1700 
publications, including more than 600 peer-reviewed journal articles. In 
addition, our researchers collaborate with some of the world's most renowned 
veterinary and nutrition scientists. Find out more at https://www.waltham.com.

About Banfield Pet Hospital(R)

Banfield Pet Hospital was founded in Portland, Ore. in 1955 and today is a 
pioneer in preventive veterinary care with more than 1,000 general veterinary 
hospitals in 42 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Mexico. More than 
3,600 Banfield veterinarians are committed to providing high-quality veterinary 
care to over three million pets annually. Banfield collects data from each of 
these visits in the U.S.'s largest electronic veterinary health records system. 
Our goal is to be here for pets, people, and society. As part of the Mars 
Veterinary Health family of practices, Banfield is committed to its purpose—A 
BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®—because pets make a better world for us. Press seeking 
additional information are invited to call the Media Hotline: (888) 355-0595.

About Mars Veterinary Health 

Mars Veterinary Health is a global division within Mars Petcare – more than 
70,000 Associates strong – dedicated to delivering high-quality pet healthcare 
to further its collective Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. Mars Veterinary 
Health's network operates more than 2,500 veterinary clinics and diagnostic 
labs around the world, putting pets, people, and the planet first. The Mars 
Veterinary Health network includes Associates at AniCura, Antech, Asia 
Veterinary Diagnostics, Banfield, BluePearl, Linnaeus, Mount Pleasant, VCA, 
VES, and VSH that demonstrate compassion and expertise by enabling more than 25 
million pet visits each year. 

Learn more at https://www.marsveterinary.com. Press seeking additional 
information are invited to contact media.mvh@effem.com. 

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Source: Mars Petcare