Licking mat for the dog: delicious recipes | ZooRoyal Magazine

Do you already have a licking mat for your dog at home? Enthusiasm for this great feeding toy has been growing among both dog and cat owners for a number of years – and rightly so: the licking mat is one species-appropriate activity for your four-legged friend and also has many advantages. Find out everything you need to know about the licking mat today: what you should look out for when buying it, what advantages it brings, what you generally fill it with and how you can clean it afterwards. You’ll also get one delicious recipewhich you can fill directly into the licking mat for your dog.

Licking mat for the dog: what is that actually?

A lick mat is a awesome food toy. You can keep your dog busy with it in a way that is appropriate to the species, because it has to be here work out his own food. And that can be a pretty tricky task. The mats have a structured surface with different indentations. When filling the licking mat, the food settles into these indentations and your dog has the task of getting it there to lick out again. Depending on the structure, it will be a hard piece of work for him to get the delicious food down to the last bit from the gaps in the licking mat. With that you can him busy for a while.

Find the right licking mat for your dog

There are two important things to consider when purchasing a lick mat: the materialfrom which it was made, and the size. Because the licking mat should fit your dog and his tongue.

The material

There are different versions of the lick mats. So you can flat mats or bowls buy. There are even Schleck records with a suction cup, which you z. B. attach to a window pane or the shower wall can. Most lick mats are made of TPR (thermoplastic rubber). This thermoplastic elastomer is a food grade plastic that has the elasticity of rubber. The material has the great advantage that it is something stronger and more durable than silicone is. This makes the lick mats particularly robust and durable. In addition, TPR is cold-resistant, but tends to deform under the influence of heat.

When buying a licking mat for your dog, be sure to pay attention quality and origin. she must Made from a BPA-free and food-grade material consist. In the best case, cheap products are only made of less robust silicone, so that they break more quickly. In the worst case, however, they can also consist of materials that Hazardous ingredients release when licked. Therefore, only buy licking mats for your dog that you are sure are made of food-safe and harmless materials, e.g. B. from TPR exist.

The right size

If you want to buy a licking mat for your dog, do a search the right mat for his size out of. The depressions in the licking mat should fit your dog and his tongue. Because a Miniature Pinscher For example, with its narrow tongue, it gets much deeper into the smallest gaps. Licking mats with deeper structures are therefore suitable for him. A Bernhardiner can compare with his broad tongue only work on the surface, with very small gaps he has his difficulties. He therefore needs a licking mat with a flatter surface structure.

Why is a licking mat useful for your dog?

With a licking mat is your dog busy for a long time. I can do that up to 20 minutes take until the last bits of food have been licked out of the depressions. Although your dog is busy with his food for a relatively long time, he only eats a little of it during this period. Therefore, the lick mat is very suitable for dogs that tend to be overweight. In this feeding game they will not unnecessarily overfed. In addition, the licking mat causes your dog to eat slowly. Especially if he usually likes to gobble his food, this is a great way to feed your dog.

Some other food games will get your dog excited because they involve action and movement. The licking mat, on the other hand, ensures a relaxed play with food. Aside from that: Licking is calming and helps reduce stress. This is because endorphins (happy hormones) are released in the body, which help to calm your dog down. You can take advantage of this especially if you have an excited dog at home. The lick mat is therefore one of many options if you are for Relaxation in the dog want to worry about. So you can z. B. when showering, brushing or clipping claws with a licking mat and make the care routine a little more pleasant.