If you've never used a lick mat, you're in for a treat, and so is your dog. Spread something tasty into the grooves and your dog will happily lick away for ten minutes or more. It's calming, it slows down even the fastest eater, and it's a brilliant way to keep them busy.
This pumpkin, oat and peanut butter lick mat is simple, gentle on sensitive tummies, and made with no cooking or freezing at the mat stage. That also makes it the perfect way to serve your dog's daily scoop of Taël.
Why lick mats are good for dogs
- Calming: licking is naturally soothing for dogs, which helps anxious or excitable dogs settle.
- Slows eating: gulping is replaced by a slow, steady lick.
- Keeps them busy: great for rainy days, visitors or when you're working.
- Easy to make nutritious: what goes on the mat is up to you.
Pumpkin and oat lick mat recipe
Makes 1 lick mat · 10 minutes · serve straight away
You'll need:
- 2 tablespoons plain cooked pumpkin, mashed and cooled (butternut squash works too)
- 1 tablespoon rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon plain peanut butter (no salt, sugar or xylitol)
- Your dog's daily scoop of Taël
- A lick mat
Method:
- Cook the pumpkin first. Peel and deseed it, steam or boil until soft, then mash and let it cool completely. Nothing added.
- Blitz the oats until fine, then stir them into the pumpkin. Leave for 5 minutes so they soften.
- Swirl in the peanut butter.
- Stir in the Taël scoop until it disappears.
- Spread it into the grooves of the lick mat and give it to your dog straight away.
Why each ingredient is there
- Pumpkin: gentle fibre that helps keep poo firm and feeds the helpful bacteria in the gut.
- Oats: more gentle fibre, and they make the mix thick enough to stay in the grooves.
- Peanut butter: the bit your dog goes mad for. A little goes a long way, as it's high in fat.
- Taël: probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, pumpkin and MRF, for everyday gut support.
Tips for the perfect lick mat
- Make it fresh. Taël is best mixed just before your dog eats, and served at room temperature. Don't freeze the mat once Taël is in.
- It's their daily scoop, not an extra. If the Taël goes on the mat, there's no need for another scoop in their dinner.
- Make it part of the routine. Many owners give it at breakfast, or as a calm moment before leaving the house.
- Prep the pumpkin ahead. Cooked, mashed pumpkin keeps covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let it come back to room temperature first.
- Stay nearby the first few times, and take the mat away once it's clean, so it doesn't get chewed.
- Wash it after every use with hot soapy water, or in the dishwasher if it's dishwasher-safe.
- Count it as food. The lick mat is part of your dog's daily food, so keep treats and extras to around 10% of what they eat in a day.
What not to put on a lick mat
- Peanut butter with xylitol, a sweetener that's extremely dangerous for dogs
- Chocolate, raisins or sultanas
- Anything with onion, garlic or salt, including leftover gravy or soup
- Flavoured or sweetened yoghurt
If your dog ever eats something on that list, or a new food leaves them with an upset tummy that doesn't settle within a day, call your vet.
A calm few minutes, and a happy gut
A lick mat takes two minutes to make and gives your dog ten minutes of calm, contented licking. With pumpkin, oats and a daily scoop of Taël, it's a treat that also does something good for their tummy, every single day.
