Nothing screams summer more than a juicy, sweet, and red watermelon. I simply don't get how some people don't quite enjoy consuming them. Anyhow even animals love to feast on them. The internet is full of videos of cute animals such as bunnies, bears, hippos, monkeys, piglets, turtles, and dogs munching on watermelon with joy.
If you are a dog owner, I am sure you already awarded your furry friend with a piece of cold watermelon this summer. In case you never tried, including watermelon in your dog's diet, you must be asking yourself questions like - can dogs eat watermelon? Is watermelon safe for them?
Luckily the answer is yes on both questions. In fact, watermelon is a perfect and healthy snack for sharing between humans and dogs, so do not hesitate to share it with them.
Last Updated: November 29th 2023
Can Dogs Eat Watermelon?
Like with all human food, it is all about the amount.
Yes, a dog can eat watermelon, but there are few measures of precautions you should think about first. It is a good idea to talk to your vet before you feed your dog watermelon. Watermelon is rich in water, antioxidants, and vitamins, so when it is properly included in a dog's diet, it can be very beneficial for them since it is high in nutrition content.
Health Benefits Of Watermelon For Dogs?
Watermelons are full of beneficial nutrients that are very healthy for your dogs, so including them in their diet is a good idea. It contains both potassium and vitamin A two ingredients that every dog needs. It also contains vitamin B6 and vitamin C, and it is high in fiber, which is good for digestion. Watermelon is also a great source of lycopene which is an antioxidant that prevents cancer. So feed your dog watermelon to make sure it stays healthy and in good shape.
Although watermelon, like all other fruits, contains sugar, the above-mentioned fiber content insulates the sugar and prevents sugar from being released into the bloodstream too quickly. Watermelon has only 46 calories per cup, and it is low in sodium. It is also fat-free and cholesterol-free.
Woot? Snackos?
Since the watermelon has about 92 percent of water content, this fruit will help maintain your pooch well hydrated during hot summer days. As you can see from everything I mentioned above, watermelon is an excellent alternative for store-bought treats since it is all-natural and high in nutrients and water.
When Can Watermelon Be Bad For Dogs?
As already said, dogs should eat watermelon but from time to time and only in some smaller amounts. Watermelon should never make up a large part of a dog's diet since too much of it will cause a tummy ache, diarrhea, or any other signs of gastrointestinal irritation.
If your dog never ate a watermelon before, you can expect an upset stomach since that is very common for them when they try new food. The best way is to give your dog watermelon in moderation to see how they will react to it. If you are not sure about the amount of watermelon you should feed to your dog, consult your veterinarian.
Don't forget that only consuming all-natural watermelon is safe for your dog; all other sweet products that contain watermelon or artificially watermelon flavored are not safe for dogs. They are full of sugar, artificial sweeteners like xylitol, and toxic chemicals to dogs and can affect their immune system, cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, or cause some significant health issues.
Can Dogs Eat Watermelon Rinds And Seeds?
The watermelon seeds can often be problematic for dogs. Of course, one or two seeds will not make any problem, but in case they ingest too many seeds, it can cause a blockage in the digestive tract. This might not be such a big problem for some large dogs, but smaller dogs are at great risk when it comes to blockages caused by seeds.
Make sure your dog eats only pink watermelon flesh since watermelon rinds are not safe for them to eat. If your dog starts to nibble at the light green insides of the fruit, do not panic a little bit of this won't cause havoc, but be careful since this part of the watermelon is firm and difficult to chew. The point is that your dog may swallow the rind before thoroughly chewing it, and this will result in intestinal blockage.
Also, the skin of the watermelon is tough to digest, which leads to further blockage. Once more smaller dogs are more at risk than larger breeds. This is when things can get pretty ugly.
Can watermelon give dog diarrhea?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is yes. If you let your dog eat too much of the watermelon wedges, their stomach will get upset, and this will cause diarrhea for sure.
Also, in case your dog eat the seeds or rind of the watermelon, you should look out for signs of intestinal blockage in the next 24 hours. If you see the symptoms such as constipation, abdominal pain, lethargy, and vomiting, take your dog to the vet right away and prevent serious health problems.
How Much Watermelon Can A Dog Eat?
Before feeding your dog any type of human food, you should ask your vet about how much you should feed your dog and how often. Naturally, different breeds of dogs have different dietary needs; some may have some health issues, and eating watermelon can make it worse, so make sure you ask your vet if that is OK.
Once you've got OK from your vet, make sure that you always feed your dog with seedless watermelon. Also, don't forget to remove the rinds as well before serving it to your dog. Cut them into small and chewable pieces or cubes and serve them fresh or freeze the watermelon to make it extra refreshing for hot summer days. Don't serve frozen watermelon cubes to puppies and senior dogs since they have delicate intestinal tract.
Check out Bluenjy enjoying watermelon with his daddy:
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Also, if you want to get creative, you can mix watermelon with other pooch-proof ingredients such as blueberries, apples, bananas, and make a fruit salad but make sure you serve the proper amount of it and not go overboard with fruit.
You can use this mix to make a smoothie with coconut milk, or yogurt, and serve it to your dog; you can also freeze the smoothie into an ice cube trays or pupsicle trays and make a perfect refreshing watermelon treats.
Have you ever heard of watermelon jerky? Well, yes, that is a thing, and if you happen to have a food dehydrator, you can make it on your own and turn the watermelon into super-chewy watermelon jerky.
It is also vital to remember that any kind of treat should make up no more than 10% of your dog's daily calorie intake. So depending on the size of your dog, you will determine how much watermelon you should serve. Keep in mind that one cup of diced watermelon contains 46 calories; this might be too much for some smaller breeds.
For example, if your dog weighs 25 pounds, it needs to consume between 500 to 750 calories each day. This mainly depends on their age, physical activity, and if they have been neutered. So, in this case, if you want to serve watermelon as a treat (using the maximum 10% rule), your dog should eat 50 calories of watermelon, which is 150 grams in total.
But on the other hand, this might be too much since if your dog eats this amount of watermelon, it will exceed the recommended dose of Vitamin A for almost 500 micrograms. That is why it is suggested to cut the portion somewhere between 50 and 70 grams.
Summary
So can dogs eat watermelon? The answer is yes; dogs can eat watermelon, occasionally. As long as it is given safely without the watermelon rind, and in moderation, watermelon is the best summer treat for your dog.
Yes, it is very hard to resist those pleading puppy eyes, but remember that dogs are perfectly content, eating their same dog food day after day. Your dog is better off eating their nutrients from their everyday pet food; believe me, a healthy dog is a happy dog.
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Great Article!
As a dog owner, I really want to know if eggplants are safe for dogs.