Geriatric Dog Behavior

Question
My friend has an adorable part poodle dog that is 13 years old and has recently developed an unusual behavior of licking, not herself, but furniture, rugs, windows, etc. She is under the care of a vet for colon problems and is on a special diet. My friend asked the vet if there could be a nutritional cause for this and he said no, it was probably behavioral, but gave her no other information. Can you "shed" any light on this ? I suggested she get the dog a chew toy of some kind but am concerned that there may be an underlying physical cause.

Answer
The vet should run some bloodwork to make sure its not a underlying problem. Many animals can have 'pica' (eating stuff they are not supposed to- especially if bored) but its always safe to make sure the dog does not have kidney or thyroid or liver disease.

good luck!