Lickmats, licking mats, lickimatt - dear child has many names!
They are becoming more and more popular by the day as owners look for mentally stimulating options at home for their four-legged best friends. Some of you may be thinking, well, what on earth is a lick food?!
Here's a basic guide to help you understand what they are, how they're used, and some handy tips and tricks to get you started.
What is a Lickmat?
A Lickmat is a mat with dimples that encourage licking. Usually made of TPR rubber or silicone, most lickmats have individual patterns and textured surfaces. These textures and patterns help your dog slowly lick their meal, preventing them from swallowing the food. Read below why licking your food is good for your dog!
Why use a Lickmat?
Using a lick mat encourages licking, which releases feel-good endorphins in your dog's brain. These endorphins can help calm dogs in stressful situations.
Lickmats can:
- Relieve stress and anxiety.
- Triggers endorphins
- Offer mental stimulation.
- Can contribute to good dental health, as licking increases saliva production.
- Be a great calming/positive reinforcement tool for activities like nail clipping and bathing.
- Encourage slower eating habits.
- Create mental stimulation for dogs with limited physical activity.
Types of lick mats
There are a variety of different lickmats on the market, and we have a large selection of lickmats for every best friend.
Here are some of their different types:
Slowfeeder and licking mat with suction cup
These mats are not only super cute - but they are durable and made to last! The unique thing about the slow feeder and lick mat with the suction cup design is that it has different challenges, and has very good suction cups underneath that keep it in place during entire meals. Read more about it here.
Surf`n Turf | Slowfeeder and licking mat with suction cup
An exciting variation of the slow feeder and licking mat with suction cups. This one has even more exciting patterns, which means there will be many good challenges for your best friend during meals. This one also has very good suction cups, which means the meal doesn't move around during the meal. Read more about it here.
Hive licking mat and slow feeder with suction cup
The Hive licking mat and slow feeder is a unique and very nice slow feeder and licking mat. With the Hive licking mat and slow feeder, your best friend gets good challenges, both with areas that need to be licked and other areas where they have to work hard to get the filling out. Read more about it here.
Tips and tricks
Do you have a notorious "lick mat flipper"? Use a lick mat with suction cups!
A big frustration with lickmats before was that the dog could "flip" the lickmat. We solved this by using lickmats with suction cups, so the mats stay in place during the meal!
Cleaning
When it comes to cleaning, lickmats can be tricky. Luckily, all of our lickmats are dishwasher safe! Wash them in the dishwasher, and if there are any more residues, you can easily remove them with a washing brush.
Things you can use in your Lickmats:
- Wet feed, thawed rumen etc.
- Pumpkin puree - Read more about Hokuō's pumpkin powder here , which can easily be made into a puree.
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Bone broth - See all the exciting flavors of bone broth from Hokuō here .
