What if there was a product that offered a way to soothe, entertain, and enrich your dog? Lick mats meet your dog’s many needs, from alleviating separation anxiety to helping clean their teeth. Many dog owners swear by these mats because they’re easy to clean, durable, and allow some flexibility with their usage.

Benefits of Lick Mats for Dogs

Having a lick mat in your arsenal of dog enrichment activities is a must. These devices offer a host of benefits to meet dogs’ many different needs. For instance, a lick mat filled with frozen chicken broth can soothe an anxious dog during fireworks displays or thunderstorms. It can also give you a few moments of peace from an overactive, mouthy puppy.

Lick mats also aim to:

• Promote dental health. A lick mat’s grooves and ridges help scrape away residue on your dog’s teeth, staving off dental disease and tooth loss. While not a substitute for tooth brushing, lick mats can be part of a balanced dental maintenance routine.

• Create positive associations. Crate training offers countless benefits, giving dogs a calm place to retreat, rest, and recuperate. Successfully crate training a dog requires creating a positive association with the kennel, which could involve using lick mats coated in treats.

• Slow down eating. Some lick mats double as slow feeders, preventing dogs from gobbling down their food in seconds. This can work to reduce the likelihood of bloat (also known as gastric dilation-volvulus), which can result from a dog eating and drinking too quickly.

Lick mats also offer a simple form of entertainment for both dog and owner. You get the joy of creating a tasty treat for your dog, and they get the joy of polishing it off.slow feeder

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How to Clean and Maintain Lick Mats

One of the best aspects of lick mats is that they’re generally easy to clean. They’re not like hollow rubber toys that require some finagling to clean the inside. They also don’t have thick edges and corners where food can crust and lead to mold growth.

Some dog owners recommend boiling these items in scalding water to ensure proper cleaning. Be sure to check your product’s description before doing this, as this could cause the material to melt or warp.

Generally, you can wipe down these flat toys using a combination of soap and warm water. This is recommended for lick mats made of natural rubber. However, some lick mats (particularly those made of food-grade silicone) are dishwasher-safe. Simply pop these devices in with your plates and cups, and presto, you’ll have a clean toy ready for its next use.

Different Features of Lick Mats Offer Different Benefits

When selecting a lick mat for your dog, you’ll notice that different products come with different features – and by extension offer different benefits. For instance:

• Suction cups allow you to securely fasten the lick mat to slippery surfaces, such as bathtubs or sinks. Spreading your dog’s favorite treat over a lick mat could make trimming their fur or cleaning their ears easier.

• Many square-shaped lick mats are divided into quarters, with each section having a different pattern or texture. Here, you could put a different treat in each compartment. For instance, you could spread peanut butterover the section with ridges and pour dry kibble into the section with the maze-like pattern.

• A non-slip grip would keep a mat in place regardless of how intensely your dog licks it. This could allow you to pour liquid onto the mat without worrying about spills.

• If you enjoy traveling with your dog, some mats come with lids to seal in the spread’s freshness and make the toy easier for on-the-go use.

Some lick mats come with spreaders to ensure a neat, hands-free way of applying your dog’s favorite treats.

Foods and Treats Ideal for Lick Mats

The only limit to what you can use on a lick mat is your imagination (and, of course, what food is safe for dogs). The first spreadable that many people associate with lick mats is peanut butter. While a solid choice, note that some peanut butter contains xylitol, an artificial sweetener that’s toxic to dogs. Peanut butter should also only be used in moderation, as it can contain syrups and oils that lead to obesity.

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Your dog will appreciate a variety of spreadable treats on their lick mats. Plain, unsweetened yogurt is great in moderation. It’s a great source of probiotics that can strengthen your dog’s digestive health. Just like with peanut butter, make sure any yogurt you provide doesn’t have artificial sugars or flavors.

If you’re looking for a sweet treat loaded with nutrients, honey is packed with vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. An added benefit is that, over time, it introduces your dog’s immune system to small amounts of pollen, building resistance to local allergens.

Extending a dog’s play sessions with a lick mat is easy. Just pour low-sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable broth on the mat, then freeze it. In a few hours, your dog will have an ice-cold treat to enjoy. Frozen lick mats are ideal on hot days to keep dogs hydrated.

Tips for Prepping and Providing Lick Mats for Your Dog

There’s no such thing as a “leave-it-and-forget-it” dog toy. Even with the convenience and enrichment lick mats offer, they’re best used with supervision. The label “food-grade” means these items are permitted to come in contact with food; the products themselves aren’t suitable for consumption. Under your watch, you can intervene if your dog attempts to eat or otherwise destroy their lick mat.

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Here are some other tips for buying, using, and maintaining lick mats:

• Believe it or not, not every lick mat available for purchase is deemed “food-grade”. Non-food-grade mats run the risk of leaching dyes, chemicals, and other toxins into your dog’s food. Check the product’s packaging to ensure that it’s safe for your intended use.

• Clean your dog’s lick mat after each use, even if the surface appears clean. Wiping it down with warm soap and water can prevent mold and bacterial growth.

• Know the signs of excessive wear and tear on your dog’s lick mat. Eroding material, punctures, and jagged ridges could pose threats to your dog’s health. Always err on the side of caution regarding your dog’s safety and throw out any degraded toys.

Do you have an anxious dog who hates water? A lick mat could offer a welcome distraction during bath time. Does your teething puppy shred stuffed squeaky toys? A lick mat with a smattering of wet food could give much-needed peace. Needless to say, lick mats have benefits for every dog and every owner!

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