LickiMats® to Soothe and Calm

Reducing Anxiety: Soothing and Calming your pet

There are three key scenarios for the use of LickiMat in helping to soothe and calm your pet:

• Separation Anxiety when you leave home or are separated
• Anxiety during thunderstorms and fireworks
• Time of illness, injury, recovery and even vet visits

The LickiMat, when used properly, can be very effective.  It is important to note that whilst proper use of LickiMat will reduce your pet's anxiety, it is not meant to be a substitute for anti-anxiety medication already prescribed by your vet.

First Key - The Right Treat

The key to using LickiMat effectively to reduce anxiety is to encourage and maximise licking action.  This means that you you have to get the treat right.  Remember, you are not trying to feed your pet at this stage, you are trying to present the most delicious treat with a consistency or flavour that encourages licking.

The treat needs to have at least one soft element: yogurt, cream cheese, peanut butter, pureed vegetables, fish oil, gravy and the like.  Mixing other elements into the treat is up to you.  

The treat also needs to contain strong elements of at least one of your pet's favourite treat, although you can always put multiple flavours on the same mat in different sections.  

Second Key - Spreading and Level

The second key is to spread the treat into the LickiMat with something like a spatula and to put enough up top of the rubber tips to help get the licking process started.  You shouldn't overload the mat, and the maximum should be about the same height of the LickiMat itself.

If the treat is a soft mixture, you should fill the mat with a spatula and then spread more on top.

If your treat contains some more solid elements like sardines or chunky treats, you can push the sardine in with the back of a spoon or a spatula into the LickiMat and make sure you leave some of the sardine or treat above the mat.

Third Key - Match the rubber surface to the treat type

There are differences between the rubber surfaces of the different LickiMats and how they hold different treats with different consistencies.  The Soother is great for softer treats and runny or liquid treats.  The two-packs are popular because they offer you more choice and variety, whilst the new Casper and Felix models have a combination of all surfaces in the same mat.

Fourth Key - Match the Volume to the occasion

You should match the volume to the size of the pet and the length of time you want the pet engaged in licking. 

You can freeze most treats on the LickiMat if your pet likes the frozen surface, or if you want your pet to take a longer time to lick the treat.  Frozen peanut butter and yogurt are popular, and you can freeze larger quantities of liquid treats in a Wobble!

Remember that a small amount of treat can last a long time, so depending on the use, you do not have to fill the whole surface of the LickiMat.

Fifth Key - Match the LickiMat to the occasion

For specific situations such as vet visits or injections, a flat LickiMat is best.

For pet grooming at bathing at home, you should consider a Splash that sticks onto vertical surfaces.

For dogs that are prone to chewing, or if you are leaving the dog at home alone for a long time, you should use the virtually indestructible Tuff LickiMat.

For more fun for you and your dog, try the Wobble.

LickiMat - there is no substitute