LickiMat Classic Soother
by LickiMat
What we use to keep Heidi occupied during IVDD crate rest — a slow-feed mat that turns a spoonful of wet food into ten minutes of quiet work.
Good For
- Crate-rest enrichment for IVDD, post-surgical, or any confinement recovery
- Slow-feeding for dogs who inhale wet food
- Giving a medication in a food matrix without the dog inspecting each bite
Not Ideal For
- Determined chewers — use the Tuff version instead so a torn-off piece isn't a swallow hazard
- Dogs on strict prescription diets where added toppers aren't allowed — check with your vet
Crate rest is the hardest part of IVDD recovery, and not because of the crate. It’s because a dog who feels fine mentally is being asked to hold still for six to eight weeks. Heidi came out of her acute episode alert and food-motivated, and the biggest daily problem was giving her something to do that didn’t involve moving her spine.
A lick mat solves a very specific version of that problem. It’s a soft rubber mat with a textured surface — ridges, nubs, or a maze pattern. You spread something sticky across it (wet food, plain yogurt, wet kibble mashed with water, a spoonful of pumpkin) and the dog has to work at it with their tongue to get every bit. What would be a five-second bowl-lick becomes ten or fifteen minutes of concentrated licking, which is calming and mentally tiring in a way food alone isn’t.
For Heidi specifically, I used it most during the middle stretch of crate rest — weeks two through five — when the initial exhaustion had passed and boredom was the enemy. I’d smear it, freeze it for an hour (this doubles the time it lasts), and hand it in through the crate door. She stayed lying down the whole time. That’s the point: enrichment that doesn’t require her to stand up or reposition.
The Classic Soother is the soft version, which is what most dogs need. If your dog is a determined chewer, the Tuff version is the same mat in a firmer rubber compound — chewers can tear the soft one. Wash on the top rack of the dishwasher or by hand with dish soap. Nothing goes stale on it if you rinse after each use.
Freeze it. That’s the one setup detail worth naming — smeared and used at room temperature it’s over in a couple of minutes; frozen it’s ten to fifteen.
LickiMat Classic Soother
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