Can Dogs Eat Watermelon? The answer is yes, with a couple of precautions.
Imagine a tropical summer vacation. You and your pet dog, Scooby is relaxing under a palm tree, enjoying the shade, sand stuck between your toes and on his paws. The sound of the waves is whispering, inviting you to take a dip on the clear, blue waters of the beach. But you snap right back to reality when you hear Scooby make a woof.
It seems that the watermelons you’ve been eating have taken you to a place at the back of your mind – a tropical paradise. But wait. It seems like Scooby wants to get a bite of your watermelon, too. You would gladly share some with him, of course you do. The problem is, you are not sure whether watermelons are safe for canine consumption or not.
Lucky you, we are going to talk exactly about this topic. At the end of this article, you are going to find the answer to the question, “Can dogs eat watermelon?”
What You Need to Know About Dogs and Watermelons
Our dogs love to eat. It’s like I could feed my puppy a shoe and he would swallow it whole! I’m just exaggerating, though. Not if your pet’s a giant boa.
On a serious note, dogs simply have a big appetite for all kinds of food (and things!) Because of this trait, it is not very difficult for us to create a meal plan for them. We could just toss anything on their doggie plate and they’d finish it like it’s their favourite. Well, not really. Not because our dog thinks it’s edible, does not mean it is safe for them to eat.
Dogs can easily get poisoned because of their scavenger habits. As responsible dog parents, we know more than just giving them whatever leftover we have on the table. We need to research on it and learn the compatibility of a certain food with our canine’s stomach.
Before we answer the main question, let us take some of our time to understand our dog’s appetite.
Looking way back to the pre-historic times, dogs were not pets but wild animals. They do not have people like us who bring them under our roofs and take good care of them like family. At that period of time, there were no squeaky toys to play with or dog food in can accessible for them when they are hungry. Long ago, they hunt for their food, eat whatever it is they find and survive. This is why dogs are opportunistic eaters.
Even though times have changed and canines have been domesticated, their scavenger ways maintained in their evolved bodies. That is why dogs may want to eat some watermelon even though the fruit is not usually a popular choice for dog food alternative.
According to what type of eater they are, it is not surprising that a lot of people are asking if watermelons can be eaten by dogs. You see, canines are omnivores which simply mean that they can eat both animal meat and fruits and vegetables. Just like us humans, they survive on a plant-based and animal-based diet.
No wonder we often find ourselves giving our pet dogs the stuff we had for breakfast. Still, it is not advisable to feed your dog human food. It is something about balanced diet and proper nutrition.
But what about watermelons?
Watermelons are green, round, and large fruits with red or yellow meat. They are sweet and juicy.
Watermelons are rich in lycopene, vitamin c, pantothenic acid, copper, vitamin A, potassium, biotin, magnesium, vitamin b6 and vitamin b1. It has anti-inflammatory attributes and anti-oxidants, too. That means watermelons can boast not only for its taste but also for its nutritional value.
Now, how can you not love watermelon?
Given all these facts, let us go to answer the question we came here for. So, is watermelon safe for dogs?
Can dogs eat watermelon? – Answer: YES
I’m here to deliver you good news. According to the data I have gathered through my rigorous research, I found out and completely verified that watermelon is not only safe, but, really healthy for dogs!
As mentioned earlier, watermelon is a great source of nutrients. It is packed with vitamins and minerals. It is also low in calories which is very good! Aside from this, watermelon is made of ninety-two percent water which makes it a great refreshment during the summer. Dogs can hydrate with some delicious watermelon snacks.
Still, there are a couple of things to remember. If you are buying some packaged watermelon with its red meat alone to be consumed straight from the container, then you’re going to be just fine.
However, if you are planning to buy the big, round fruit from the supermarket, make sure you prepare it properly. This is because we do not know if watermelon seeds and watermelon rind is good for your pet. Well actually, you’re going to know about this in a few seconds.
So feel free and read on.
Health Benefits of Watermelons for Dogs
Watermelon has a long list of nutritional value. Let us go over this one by one.
- Watermelon is a good source of beta-carotene. Does this one sound familiar? Well if it rings a bell, you might have heard it as the vitamin carrots brag about. Beta-carotene serves a function to improve eye-sight.
- Watermelon also contains magnesium. Magnesium is important for the canine cellular processing.
- It is a great source of Vitamin C. And we all love vitamin C because it strengthens our immune system. With a stronger health defence, we could avoid diseases. That means our dog can enjoy every day without being sick. More play time with our dogs and less money to cover the cost on unnecessary trips to the vet.
- Watermelon also contains a decent amount of potassium. It serves a function for proper functioning of enzymes. It maintains the health of muscles and nerves, too.
- Watermelon is also a great way to hydrate. Because most of it is water, it would be able to quench your pet’s thirst on a hot summer day. But always give your dog some extra, fresh water to go along their watermelon treat. Nothing beats pure water in quenching thirst.
When are watermelons bad for dogs?
Watermelons are good for dogs but there are still a number of considerations. For example, do not let your dog finish an entire ball of watermelon. Although that one is fairly obvious (in my many attempt of funny exaggeration), you should capture some honest advise. Never feed your dog too much.
Always in moderation, that’s what they say. You can only feed your dog two or three pieces of one-inch watermelon slices.
How much is too much?
While there is an advisable amount of watermelon, there really is strict rule to what dosage is considered to result to watermelon overdose (if there is such thing!) You can only use some common sense when it comes to this question.
You should consider how large your dog is. If it’s a small breed, you should feed him a lot less than what you should give to the bigger dogs. Simple! If you continue feeding your dogs watermelon, they may experience stomach upsets like tummy ache and diarrhea.
Moreover, if you feed your dog too much watermelon, you will notice frequent urination. This is because he had a lot of liquid intake from the liquid component of the fruit. There might also be some changes in his bowel movement.
Also, it is too much watermelon if it’s the only thing you feed your dog all day. Watermelon may be healthy but it cannot sustain the nutrition needs of your dog for the entire day. Dogs still need some quality protein.
Watermelon should only be served as an occasional treat for when Wiggles perfects a new trick or if you are trying to train him into getting on some habit. It can only be a light snack every once in a while. It should not be the main dish to his everyday course. Dogs may be omnivores but they are more inclined to eating meat. Their stomachs find it hard to digest vegetables even though animal flesh may seem harder than green leaves.
Watermelon toxicity and watermelon allergy?
If you worry about watermelon being poisonous to canines, you should relax yourself. I have not come across any reports about watermelon toxicity. That means watermelon is perfectly safe. Also, there is no need to be concern about watermelon allergies. As far as my concern, there are no documented cases of dogs who experienced allergic reactions after eating the fruit.
However, I always advise my fellow dog parents to conduct food trials before introducing a new component to their canine diet. You could give your pet a slice of watermelon at first. Monitor your dog closely and if there had been no unusual behaviour in his part, then watermelon could be fed in gradual increase.
A Couple of Precautions about Watermelon
Warning: Watermelon Seeds and Rinds is probably not a good idea. This is something to be emphasized so I made two separate sections for two different sub-questions about the watermelon fruit. I hope you pay close attention to this part of the article.
Can Dogs Eat Watermelon Seeds? – Answer: NO
We all prefer to eat seedless watermelon. I mean, we could swallow the little seeds but these tiny things come between us and the watermelon in our mouths. We do not want some disruption while we’re eating our favourite fruit.
Dogs, on the other hand, won’t even notice that the seeds are there. They would go munching on the entire watermelon without much care.
But here’s the deal. Watermelon seeds may be small, but they are terrible (I’m sure I heard that line somewhere). These seeds can cause intestinal blockage. That is why you should see to it that every single seed is removed from the watermelon you feed your dogs.
Although he may accidentally swallow one or two seeds, he should not swallow more than that number. His stomach acid could dissolve the seeds but too much of it will be hard for the canine digestive system. We can never be too careful, you know.
What about seedless watermelon?
Well they appear to be safe because they do not have the tiny, black seeds we try to avoid. Then again, you might have noticed that there are still tiny, white seeds although few in number and smaller in size. While it reduces the risk of intestinal blockage for dogs, you should still beware of these tiny things.
Can Dogs Chew on Watermelon Rind? – Answer: NO
Watermelon rind is said to be good for humans. If you know how to prepare it with the use of a blender, we could certainly get the most of a watermelon’s nutrients from this part of the fruit. That is all what fitness experts talk about these days. It serves a lot of purpose for us humans. It increases our energy levels, sexual performance, improves focus and concentration, lowers blood pressure, and improves stability.
But the question is, do watermelon rind have the same effect to dogs as they have to humans?
Well, not really.
Dogs can chew on anything – an old shoe, a new throw pillow or even watermelon rind! All of the things I mentioned are not supposed to be eaten by our canines.
Watermelon rind, specifically, can cause gastrointestinal upset which is a painful experience for dogs. If we do not want our poor little baby to go through this horror, dispose of the watermelon rinds immediately before your dog gets his paws on them.
And because watermelon rind is very hard, it is not very good for our dog’s oral health. The likely results for this are tooth damage and eventually tooth decay.
What do I do if my dog got sick because of eating watermelons?
If you notice something strange about your dog after he has eaten watermelon, bring him to the veterinarian immediately. Have him checked and let the professionals handle the situation. Emergencies that resulted from watermelon are pretty rare so you would not have to worry about what to do if your dog got sick because of it.
How to Prepare Watermelon for Dogs
Yes, watermelon is safe for dogs. But it is another thing to know how to prepare them in a creative way but still in a safe manner.
I have found a watermelon treat recipe for dogs online which would surely make our canine pets excited. All you need is some watermelon, coconut water or coconut milk, some honey, and an ice cube tray. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make these frozen watermelons for dogs.
- Slice the watermelon and put them I a blender.
- Add the coconut milk or water and maybe add some honey for some flavour.
- Puree all the ingredients until the consistency is somewhat resembling to juice.
- Pour the mixture on the ice cube tray.
- Put the tray in the freezer and wait for a couple of hours.
- And it’s ready!
Once completely frozen, you can feed it to your dogs. Or maybe have some yourself! This is a great recipe to follow during the somewhere when we need extra hydration for our bodies. Our dogs will need a lot more water especially when you are planning to walk him on a warm morning.
There are also a lot of other recipes other than this and you can find them on the internet. You can make some watermelon taffy, watermelon granite or maybe watermelon gummies!
Can Puppies Eat Watermelon?
Yes. There is no reason to ban watermelon from puppies! It is more than 90% water so the threat is very minimal, when you think about it. These babies will love watermelon.
Dogs and Watermelon: The Final Verdict
And there you have it! I guess that’s everything you need to answer the question “Can dogs eat watermelon?”.
To reiterate, watermelon is safe for your dog’s consumption. Not only that, it contains a lot of nutrients which can optimize your dog’s health. And since it is mostly made up of water, it is a great way to refresh your dog especially during the hot season.
There are just a couple of things to remember. First, watermelon seeds should be removed before serving watermelons to dogs. This is because it can cause gastrointestinal blockage. Watermelon rinds, too, is a no-no. It can cause a painful stomach ache which is not a very good experience for canines. Keep this in mind and your dog will surely enjoy the watermelon treat you prepared for him.
That is it. You have reached the end of this article. I do appreciate you reading it until the end. I hope you enjoyed the article. If you have anything in mind you would like to say or any tips and advise you would like to add, do not hesitate to comment below.
If you think you have friends and fellow dog-parents who would find this information useful, click share and spread the word.
Thank you and bye-bye!
