Long-Lasting Enrichment for Seniors: Frozen Treats for Mental Stimulation

Providing your senior pet with mental stimulation is crucial for their well-being, and frozen treats offer a simple, highly-effective way to do this. These chilled activities are perfect for encouraging natural licking and foraging behaviours, providing a low-impact, long-lasting form of enrichment that can keep your pet engaged for extended periods of time.

This is especially beneficial for senior dogs or those with mobility issues, who may not be able to participate in vigorous physical exercise. By offering a frozen treat, you provide a mentally stimulating activity that reduces boredom and anxiety without any physical strain or risk of overexertion.

The benefits of frozen treats go far beyond simple engagement:

• A Soothing Activity: Licking and gnawing on a frozen treat is a highly engaging and calming activity, which is great for reducing anxiety and managing restlessness.
• Improved Digestion: The extended time it takes to consume a frozen treat can help to slow down a fast eater, which is excellent for digestion and can help reduce the risk of bloat.
• Additional Hydration: Adding water to frozen treats is a fun way to keep your senior dog hydrated.
• It Also Cools! As a secondary benefit, frozen treats are a delicious and safe way to help keep your senior pet cool, which is a welcome bonus on a warm day.

Choosing the Perfect Frozen Treat Vessel: You can serve these treats in a variety of ways to maximise their benefits. We love the LickiMat “Yoggi Pot” for its deep, textured space, but you can also use a slow feeder, a classic Kong toy, or a regular LickiMat to serve your frozen creations.

Safe & Simple Recipe Ideas: Creating your own DIY frozen dog treats is easy and ensures you know exactly what your pet is consuming. Some ideas to start with are:

• Smashed banana, peanut butter, blueberries, plain yoghurt and water,
• Sardines, mashed sweet potato and water
• Chopped roasted chicken, peas and water
• Your favourite canned food and water.

Always make sure all ingredients are pet-safe and Xylitol-free.

As always, speak with your veterinarian before introducing new foods or treats, especially for dogs with underlying health conditions or dietary restrictions.