Why does my dog suddenly lick the whole floor?

The full narration of the video.

You're watching TV one evening. Your dog suddenly gets up, puts its head down, and licks its way along the wall. Living room, then the hallway. It's panting, and calling its name won't stop it. In the end it flops down, worn out. Most people figure it's boredom, or just a weird habit.

Vets at the University of Montreal in Canada gathered nineteen dogs that licked surfaces far too much, examined them head to tail, and even looked inside their stomachs with a camera. Fourteen of the nineteen had something wrong in their gut. That's about three out of every four. Some had inflamed stomachs and intestines. Some stomachs emptied too slowly, so food sat there too long. Some had an inflamed pancreas. And one had something stuck in its stomach.

But why would a sore belly make a dog lick the floor? Think about being carsick. Your stomach keeps churning and your mouth fills with spit. You keep swallowing, you want a sour candy, something to chew on. Dogs get nauseous too, but they can't tell you. Licking lips, drooling, gulping again and again, eating grass: these are common signs of a queasy dog.

Licking the floor is probably the same thing, just louder. The study had one more clue. Once the vets treated the dogs' bellies, the licking dropped. About half the dogs stopped completely. But the carsick comparison breaks down in one place. You feel better once you get out of the car. A dog's nausea often comes from a real problem inside, and it doesn't just stop.

And licking the floor means swallowing dust and hair, which can make the belly feel even worse. This isn't the whole story either. The study only had nineteen dogs. Some dogs lick because of a sore tooth, or nerves. An older dog that suddenly starts may have an aging brain. So next time it starts licking, what can you do?

Don't scold it, and don't just block it. Film a clip on your phone. Note when it started, how long it lasted, what it ate before and after, and whether it threw up. If it happens more and more, goes on and on, or comes with vomiting, diarrhea or not eating, bring the video to a vet, and follow their advice. It isn't really licking the floor. It's telling you its stomach feels off.

Next time it licks, count for it: in one minute, how many times does it swallow? Come back and tell me.