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?

I believe dogs are aware of things we are not able to see. You don't mention anything about your Mom's decline only the behavior of the dog. Has your mom been medically checked out? Have you taken the dog to the vet? I think you need to explore the behavior of the dog and address your Mom's care in a deeper way.

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.

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.

As others have said dogs can definitely sense when their owner is sick or hurt, when I was being treated for cancer my dog didn't leave my side for 2 months straight. Another thing to consider is the dog itself, 13 years is pretty old for dogs in general and some breeds in particular, the dog may be having some sort of medical issue of it's own. I'd take it to a good Vet as soon as possible for a good check up and see if it may possibly be an illness of the dog and not related to your mom at all.

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

As an animal lover, it sounds like, yes. And the dog should try to be soothed and give as much attention and love and redirection as possible. I hope this helps. And, can she stay with your mother?

Stress can contribute to illness. Suggest you have a vet check her out first so that you'll know if it's a medication or mostly soothing she needs.

It sounds like the dog is definitely sensing something wrong, and it really needs to be checked out. One time I even heard of a story where someone's pet saved a woman's life after detecting breast cancer in her breast. Yes, animals can sense things that many of us can't even see, which is exactly why the owner really needs to get checked out

Yes dogs do know when something is wrong I know this from experience the first time when mu daughter had cancer and the dog would not leave her alone, was licking her face and laying on her left side that is where they found the cancer which she did beat. The second time was the last few days my mother-in-law was with us both of our taco bell dogs (can not spell the name right now) would not leave her side. she thought it was real nice and kept telling she was fine. She passed away about 2 days later at the ripe old age of 100. so yes dogs do have a special sense of something being wrong.

awww, poor thing, sounds like he is upset. He senses something is wrong with your mom. He misses her. Is your mom not there? I got a cage for my moms dog, and he is more secure and quiet in there. I put him in at night and sometimes during the day he will just go in himself. He has gotten to like it. He feels safe.