If your dog’s quality of life is worrying you, we help you understand it. We look at the whole animal, not just their condition: what is good in their life now, what to watch for, and what to take back to your regular vet.
The consultation is led by Dr Kat Littlewood, New Zealand’s only Registered Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law.
This consultation is for owners who want to understand their dog’s quality of life. Some come because something has started to worry them, while others simply want to understand how their dog is really doing. Most owners who book have a regular vet they value, but find that the conversation about their dog’s quality of life is not happening in the usual appointments.
This often means:
This consultation works alongside your regular vet. They stay responsible for your dog’s treatment, and we send them a summary of what we discuss
The consultation is a 45-minute video call that begins with an intake form.
You receive:
What this service does NOT provide:
These remain the responsibility of your regular vet, who knows your dog and can provide ongoing care.
This consultation supports the care your dog already gets from them.
We will be in touch within 5 working days to confirm whether a pilot place is available.
The intake form takes you through some background questions about your dog and gives you a space to tell us what is worrying you. The form takes about 25 minutes to complete.
With your authorisation, Kat requests your animal's clinical records from your regular vet and reviews them along with your intake form before the consultation.
We discuss your animal, their quality of life, and your questions.
Within 5 working days, you will receive a written assessment that includes everything from the consultation, your animal-specific things to watch, and questions for your regular vet. A summary is also sent to your vet.
Kat Littlewood is New Zealand’s only Registered Veterinary Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law. Registered Veterinary Specialist is a protected title, awarded after formal assessment of advanced expertise and experience.
Kat holds a PhD in end-of-life care for companion animals, with a research focus on how owners and vets make quality of life and end-of-life decisions. She co-authored the 2020 update of the internationally recognised framework for assessing animal welfare – The Five Domains Model. Kat is the lead author for numerous book chapters on the Model’s use, alongside Emeritus Professor David Mellor, the originator of the Model.
Kat is independent of any clinic and has no commercial interest in any product, treatment, or recommendation.
This is a quality of life assessment. We do not diagnose conditions, prescribe, or write treatment plans, and your regular vet remains responsible for your dog’s clinical care.
We work alongside your regular vet. A summary of the consultation is sent to them, supporting the care your dog already receives, and owners often find that summary opens up the conversation they had been struggling to have.
For a second opinion on a diagnosis or treatment, your regular vet can refer you to a clinical specialist. This consultation looks at how your dog is experiencing life day to day, and what that means for the decisions ahead.
During the pilot phase, the consultation is available only for dogs. We will be extending the service to cats after the pilot. If you are applying for a dog and also have a cat, the application form includes a question to join the cat waitlist. If you only have a cat, please use the contact form below to be added to the waitlist.
During the pilot phase, the consultation service is open only to owners in New Zealand. After the pilot, the service will extend to owners in other countries. If you are outside New Zealand and would like to be notified when the service is available to you, please use the contact form below to be added to the waitlist.
This service requires that your dog be under the active care of a regular veterinarian. This means a veterinary visit or physical examination within the last six months. If you do not have a regular vet, you will need to register with one before the consultation. If you are not sure about this, please get in touch, and we can discuss.
This is not an emergency service. If your dog needs urgent care, please contact your regular vet or the nearest emergency clinic directly. The intake form includes a safety check for signs that need urgent attention.
The consultation is not recorded by default. You receive a written assessment afterwards that captures everything important. If you would like to take notes during the call, please feel free to do so.
Yes. The information you share is used for the consultation and the written assessment. The summary report to your regular vet is sent only with your written consent. You can read how your information is collected, used, and kept in the privacy notice included in the intake form.
If you have concerns about this service, please raise them with Kat directly in the first instance. Concerns that cannot be resolved can be referred to the Veterinary Council of New Zealand.
We would love to speak with you.
Feel free to reach out using this form.
Helping people understand animals and each other