Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
by Dr Sherrilynn Wakefield, Foothills Animal Hospital, Armadale, WA
LickiMat is a small mat with a surface designed to have food smeared into it. It engages dogs and cats mentally and physically as they have to work to get at the food.
What’s good about it
I use LickiMat during consults for dogs and cats. It allows them to relax when they’re in the room. It’s a great way to distract dogs that are food or texture motivated when I’m talking to the owner.
I also use it when I’m doing my clinical exam. The patients are less anxious when I’m touching them and are not concerned about things like stethoscopes. It’s also useful when I’m administering vaccinations. I just scatter or smear a little food on the LickiMat and it works really well, particularly with puppies.
Some of my clients bring in their own Lickimat with their pet’s favourite food already smeared on it. This is a very quick way to get a patient settled.
For nervous patients, I advise the owner to start feeding them off a LickiMat at home. Then, when they come to visit, they are familiar with the experience, and it makes the whole process less stressful. It’s also a great product for overweight, greedy patients as it effectively slows down the speed of their feeding.
I’ve used a LickiMat at all stages of an appointment—from when they first come in and I’m taking their history to when they’re getting their injection. Most of the time they’re so distracted by the food, they don’t even notice.
We sell LickiMats in the practice. I recommend them for all cats and dogs because it’s an enriching experience for the animals.
What’s not so good
The manufacturer advises against putting them in a dishwasher. This means that cleaning them thoroughly is a slightly finicky job.
