As dog owners, we are constantly seeking healthier alternatives to enrich the lives of our furry friends. Whether you just adopted your first pup or are a pup-veteran, some things that are often overlooked are oral health, general enrichment, and weight control. There are solutions that we’ve seen on the market, such as dog-friendly toothpaste, toys, and special diets. However, if you’re like our dogs, these hyper furry friends don’t like to sit still for very long for a teeth-brushing. Weight control is also a tricky one, as well as finding new ways to enrich your dog’s life.
“How does a lick mat solve these problems?” you might be asking. Here are our reasons why!
- Supports Oral Health
This is no secret. As your dog licks the mat, they are producing extra saliva which has several benefits, the most important of which is that it helps to clean their gums and teeth. Saliva is also known to help protect against cavities. So, in short, the more they lick, the more protection they’re building up!
Additionally, has your pup-friend ever had noticeably stinky breath? Like humans, this is caused by the follicles of what we consume during the day. As the dog licks the mat, the tough grooves and edges will help scrape bacteria off their tongue. After a few uses, you’ll notice your pet has fresher smelling breath!
- Overeating and Weight Control
A dog’s favorite time of day is mealtime! And what better way to show your appreciation than a nutritious can of their favorite wet food? But we’ve all seen it, they scarf it down in 3 bites! This can lead to difficulty in weight control and indigestion. Too much too fast is bad news for any pup.
The reason why a lick mat helps in this scenario is that it promotes slower eating. Instead of having full access to the food like they would a bowl, instead they must take their time to work through the lick mat to get their full meal. Because of the size of our mat, it is much easier to portion control as well. Your dog will take longer to lick up what’s on the mat which will make them feel full sooner.
- Keeps them busy!
It’s a bright and sunny afternoon and you’re working from home at your desk with your pup present. He’s poking and prodding you for attention and play time. Or worse, he sees the mailman through the window and now they’re barking! We all wish we could spend 24/7 with our furry friends, but there are chores to be done, errands to run and work to do.
In our experience, placing a healthy amount of dog-friendly peanut butter into the lick mat has kept our dogs preoccupied while we do our work! Whether your dog is generally hyper or mellow, the activity of using the lick mat is great enrichment for all personalities.