My Mom's dog-Cocoa- of 13 yrs. is acting up a lot, and I'm wondering if it's connected to my Mom's downward spiral?

Thanks for the feedback. I DID take Cocoa to vet, and they did a blood test, but found nothing wrong after checking her over, etc. So......back to square one!
cadams

I saw something on Dr. Dee a vet on Animal Planet that reminded me of the dog in this thread. (Slamming body into counter.) Dr. Dee's dog had something similar. It's like an imbalance. I'd ask your vet about it. It's called Old Dog Vestibular Disease. Here's a link on it. Just a thought to check out. It's easy to confuse with more serious illnesses.
thebark/content/idiopathic-or-old-dog-vestibular-disease

This is some interesting information I just learned today from a neighbor who just revealed it to my daughter. My husband was walking our dog, and one of our neighbors was in his yard and walked over to where my husband was. My husband told our neighbor he had Alzheimer's, and that if he noticed him (my husband) being confused, would he hold his hand and lead him home; for he (my husband) depended on the dog to lead him home. Now isn't that interesting? And this was a year ago, although we just found out. I am sure my husband has no knowledge of remembering this....but all of our neighbors are aware of my husband's situation. We live barely out of the city limit's and the walk is just one circle of about 7 homes. so if any neighbor noticed a problem of confusion, I would be notified. And the dog continues to go with him every day for at least two walks. It takes about 15 minutes for the walk, and there are no dangerous highways in this circle. (unless he chooses to go a different route) Now isn't that a wonderful thought? To know my neighbors are so helpful? (one is keeping my husband's pickup in his shed until we hope he (my husband) will eventually forget it Right now we have told him it is in the shop. So far that is working. marymember

I AM listening. Took Cocoa to the vet today. Will have to wait on blood test results, etc. Hope we find out what's going on. She sat in my lap for a long
time after vet appt........and she never does that anymore, so.......it all must
mean something. Thanks for all your input. cadams

Oh gosh! Your dog sounds like he is in pain!
Please don't ignore these signs as behaviour. We did that with our dog until she finally collapsed. We then got her blood test to find she had liver & kidney failure. We had to put her down. Felt guilty for long time for not "listening"

I keep typing a reply to post and it isn't showing, so hope this one goes through.
I thank you all for your feedback. I DO have an appt. with the vet and look forward to getting some answers. Will keep you all posted best I can. Happy Holidays! cadams

Thanks for the feedback. I have an appt. with the vet and look forward
to finding some answers. Will get back to you all asap. Again....thanks.
cadams

It is hard to remember the details, but my dog was doing something like throwing herself, yelping, and was very uncomfortable, in distress. It turned out she had impacted anal glands, one burst, there was blood and feces down her leg, vet emergency. From then on she had to go and have her glands expressed monthly or every six weeks. So, I am recommending that you ask the vet about the glands.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will take Cocoa to the vet this week to have her checked out and let you all know what they suggested. I just hate the idea of medication, but I am at wits end of what else to do.
For 6 yrs. I have lived with and cared for mom, who at 96 1/2 yrs. still lives in her own condo with her dog of 13 yrs. I did have to take mom to the hospital 2x this last month, one time for 4 days.....the longest ever away from her dog. There definitely was some reaction from that. But I have to say, Cocoa was acting up lots even before this, so.... I'll have to find out what's going on. Thanks again. cadams

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am at my wits end and WILL have to take Cocoa to the vet this week to be checked out. I've tried all kinds of things to help her.....to no avail. I hate the thought of medication, but perhaps that is really what she needs. I don't know. The vet WILL know.
For 6 yrs., I have lived with and cared for mom, who, at 96 1/2 yrs. still lives in her own condo.....with her dog of 13 yrs. I had to take mom to the hospital 2x this month.....one time we were there for 4 days....the longest ever away from Cocoa. But I have to say, seems to me she's been acting out even before all this......Thanks for all your input. Will let you know how it all turns out....cadams

If your vet says anxiety is at the root of it there are also many herbal things to try....

Mom on downward spiral, you busy with caregiving, once returning from the vet, walk the dog before bed to alleviate the anxiety. The walk or going outdoors will help both you and the dog.
Sorry for this difficult turn in your life.

I meant tuned in, not turned in. typing too fast; not stupid.

Animals are extremely turned in to our health. A dog that was accustomed to going outside to pee will pee in the room of the person that is having problems. It's like they are "marking their territory" telling everyone this is my mom/dad". They know something is wrong and is telling everyone that "hey, do something". I had a mama cat that always went outside to do her business unless I wasn't there. I went out of town for the weekend once and left plenty of food and water for her and she was able to go out the cat door to go outside. Instead she went on my bed! I think she was mad at me for leaving her for a couple of days. They will pay you back if you leave them alone! They pee all over if their world is turned upside down by an illness or death. Have you taken the dog to the vet yet for an exam? Please come back on here and let us know how everyone is doing.

My aunt is a cat and dog lover and she is 99 and in the nursing home. I bought a life sized cat which has a battery. When on, the cat will meow, lick his paw, row over on his back, and roll back over in the usual sitting position, It fools the dogs. They bark at it and smell it over and over. But I am going to take it to the nursing home and put it in her room. She saw it once and petted and petted it. So I believe she thinks it is real,,,marymember

I had a horse a decade ago that showed me jist how intuitive & feeling animals really are. One of my other horses was middle-aged but had had a very hard early life (before I got her) & had several physical problems that eventually caused her a lot of pain. We medicated her as long as we could but when it was obvious that the treatment was no longer making her comfortable & we weren't able to keep weight on her no matter what we fed, we knew it was time. The morning the vet was to come put her down we turned the horses out, as usual. And, as usual, poor Nolie wasn't able to walk much more than 10 or 15 feet outside before she just stopped & stood & occasionally tried a small nibble of grass. Also as usual, the remaining 4 horses went to their favorite grazing spot at the far corner of the pasture & quietly grazed for hours. A half hour before the vet arrived, as I was finishing my barn chores, I watched as the boss mare led every one of the other horses back to where Nolie stood & this grouo of horses that would normally push & jostle each other around patiently stood while each one of them took turns walking up to her & nuzzling her nose with theirs. After each had done this, they quietly moved off. This behavior was something they had never done before & I am 100% convinced that they were saying their goodbyes. This is why I get so incensed when people say that animals don't feel emotion or don't have a soul. They do & their emotion & their souls are purer than most humans I know.

So, yes, PLEASE take this dog to a vet. Whether the cause is physical or emotional, this poor puppy is suffering & needs your help to find relief. And PLEASE update us on what you found out & how he's doing.

When my husband had surgery our dog would sit by him (at his feet). My husband never much cared for the dog, nor petted her. Later my husband would lay on the sofa and when he fell asleep, our dog got up with him and laid at his feet. She was feeling his pain, I believe. Husband is now quite fond of her and pats her and calls her his sweet dog. Yes, they are very tuned in to our feelings/stress. Still, have the dog checked out. Not sure what size dog you have, but perhaps he/she wants to comfort your mother. Let it on the bed or chair with her. Perhaps the dog needs to be walked outside for exercise.

Yes, dogs do sense times when anxiety is within the household. My dog follows me all over the house. She knows I am distressed as my husband has Alzheimers and I am the caregiver. She knows it is hard on me, and she tries so hard to ease my anxiety. I did have breast cancer a year ago, and I don't know if she sensed that or not. I had a mastectomy of one breast. But I do go to the cancer doctor on a regular basis. But most of all I think she knows my anxiety; and my husband pets her all the time. He loves that dog..We both do..A dog is a man's best friend..and a woman's best friend, too. loyal and trustworthy and lovable and sweet and with eyes of loyalty and kindness.marymember

Kaylani, we definitely had the same experience with the pooches. Their discernment absolutely amazes me. My mom's dog would sit at our feet and stare at us when something was wrong with him....my dog does the same thing till I take notice and figure out what he wants. They are so much more intelligent than we know!

TSM1013 -- Your experience with your mom's dog peeing all over the house is exactly what happened with my mom. Her dog (4 years old) was always good about scratching at the door when he needed to go out. My dad routinely took him out too. But last year I started finding pee spots all over my mom's bedroom -- along the foot of her bed, by her dresser, by the doorway, etc. He also peed in the living room where she liked to sit, and by her piano. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him - - but now I know. Even though I was over there almost every day, he picked up on mom's dementia before I realized how bad it was becoming. My parents are in assisted living now, and the dog lives with me sister nearby. They get to see him often, and they are all doing better. Our dogs are amazing.

Answer=Of course. He knows when his person is ailing even before his owner does. There have been stories of canines alerting their person that they had cancer.

Dogs have a very acute sense of smell and hearing. They can sense cancers, heart problems and sleep apnea if trained properly. The first thing I would do would be to take the dog to the vet for a thorough checkup. Body slamming sounds more like an ear infection and she's trying to get it to stop. Dogs can take tramadol (a non-narcotic pain killer) and it may help if she is feeling pain in her ears but do check her out first to see what is causing the behavior. Dogs react also when their owner is doing something different than usual. When my dad was alive, he also had a poodle that was around 7 or 8 years when I brought him to live with me. He lived with me 9 years before passing and the only time that dog left his side was when he went to the vet or salon for a bath. He would sit at his feet and when my dad fell asleep in his chair, the dog would suddenly jump up and stare at him. I think he was watching his breathing because there were times that I thought dad looked like he was holding his breath (sleep apnea) and then snort when he starting breathing again. Each time the dog went nuts, barking at him and suddenly jumping on him which, in turn, would make him start breathing again. After dad passed, the dog sat by the apt patio door, just watching the cars coming and going to see if dad would get out of his car that was parked in front. He sat there day after day until he finally passed a year later. I think he grieved himself to death. Dogs are very intuitive about a person and their habits. The dog is trying to tell you something about your mom. Does she live with you? Have you had to place her in an AL and the dog is experiencing separation anxiety? If you have room for the cage, that's a great idea. They get used to it being their own space, especially when there is a soft blanket to lay on and something personal of hers to comfort her. Your mom's scent will be on her clothes and it's very comforting to animals, even house shoes. Get her examined if the first thing to do and then try to find out exactly what is happening when she starts to bang against the cabinets. That may have been the time of the morning when your mom got up and first let her out for the day. My dad always got up before dawn to let his dog out and then they went back to bed. Is this something that just started or has she always been doing the slamming at 4am?

Be careful about putting your clothing in with the dog. My cat peed all over my sweatshirt when I put it in the crate to sooth her on the way to the vet. And cat pee is nasty.

The dog is at least 13 years old. Get her to the vet. She should be getting senior screens annually to monitor her health as well. Sometimes we overlook our pets when the people in our lives need our help. Pets also pick up on the distress in a household or change in routine. They need reassurance and schedule.

gettingold, LOOK AT ALL OF THE "DOG WHISPERERS" HERE! To add to these replies, I too, believe the dog is trying to tell you something. The vet can surely tell you more, especially if he or she is familiar w/ the pet & his history. Good luck! What a good dog! blou

sadly my dog passed away on tuesday afternoon, when i lost the other 10months ago he started whining & barking, something he had never done before, i knew he was missing his other half and visited the vet, he was put on medication and calmed down a little, i took him different walks, bought more toys but at 13yrs he really wasn`t interested. a few weeks ago he started going round in circles in the garden, he became incontinent a week ago, the diagnosis was senility in an elderly dog, with my mum in a nursing home & now hearing this about my dog my heart just broke in two. thankfully he was in no pain.he missed his brother so much despite the love i gave to him, spoiling him, i would cut off my arm to have him here with me now, we both lay on the carpet on tuesday afternoon when he passed away with my arm around him, please help the dog he is looking for the love he had at one time from youre mother, he is obviously stressed. tell the vet everything when you go and see him, but please get help.

Have you investigated the contents of the cupboard/(s)? Might be a box of special dog cookies or package of chew treats in there she's used to getting sometimes that she hasn't had in a while that you don't know about? My Mom's silly dog would sit under the cupboard and give a little woof every 5 minutes for up to an hour for a "liva snap" if she was out of them. Ha-go clear to the store, get her a box, give her ONE, and she'd walk off with it and quit. :-) Also, don't know where you are but with the weather change is there any way a mouse could have come into the wall behind the cabinet? Friends's cat started going bonkers trying to wake her up in the middle of the night recently. If she'd get up he wanted to go out into the garage. Would meow and meow at the same spot. She wasn't at all impressed with this new routine at 3 a.m. Turns out a little mouse had gotten in around some new duct work done this summer. Guess he could hear it well in the still hours of the night.

We just and a similar issue with my mom's dog. My mom's dementia is progressing and the dog started peeing all over the house for no reason.. He was checked out by the vet who said there was no physical reason for it so suggested that it was a behavioral issue due to the dog's anxiety about my mom's decline. He prescribed xanax for the dog to try to calm his anxiety but it didn't work and over-medicated him. These animals DEFINITELY feel the changes in their owners (maybe more then we do) and it affects their behavior. Happily, he is now ensconced in memory care with my mom where they will both have a more routine schedule..hopefully, it will benefit them both. He is a loyal dog who is dedicated to her so hopefully they will both be happy in their new home

I also think your dog should be checked, immediately.

My sister's Chow began whimpering and barking all night long one night. I thought it was because she missed my sister who was on vacation, but we took her to the vet and discovered she had stomach cancer.

Don't wait on this - the dog could be ill.

Take your moms dog to the vet. Slamming her body against things is not anywhere close to normal behavior. I would venture the dog is in pain.