Can Dogs Eat Watermelon

Dogs generally can eat watermelon but there are certain parts of a watermelon such as seeds, shells, rind which dogs should not consume. Watermelon is a very yummy treat for dogs especially in summer times. 

Dogs will always tend to eat what their owners enjoy and saying no to that cute face is not always possible that is why you need to be more careful about what you are giving your dog in the first place. 

Watermelon is safe as long as you do not go overboard with it, that means only give in small quantities to avoid risks. Watermelon if consumed in huge quantities can give dogs diarrhea / other digestive problems. 

You need to give only the flesh of the watermelon that is the red part of it and make sure there are no seeds in that portion which you are about to give your dog. Watermelon seeds are not safe for dogs to eat. 

When you suddenly create change in your dog’s diet it can cause diarrhea / vomiting / issues in digesting the food properly.  

Can dogs have Watermelon?

Pure watermelons are really beneficial for our four legged creatures. If you want to give watermelon treats that can be bought from the store then that is also okay but be sure to check the ingredients carefully before buying it.  

Store bought watermelon treats can have artificial sweetener and other additives to make it tastier but that is not good for your dog’s health. 

If you want to make regular watermelon tastier then you can prepare it in ways that will make them tastier without causing health hazards. 

You can spice things up by making frozen watermelon treats for your dog. You do not even have to do much to prepare them; you just need 2 ingredients to make frozen watermelon treats. 

Take out a blender or mixer now put watermelon (only the flesh part) and 1 cup of coconut milk in it and blend. If your dog is allergic to coconut milk or you do not want to give your dog coconut milk then you can just add water instead of coconut milk.  

Now you can pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze them. Even you can enjoy those treats as they turn out to be delicious. 

You can prepare the watermelon in another way where you will need a dehydrator. It will make watermelon fun to chew on, all you need to do is cut the flesh part of the watermelon and then place them in the dehydrator. Remember that this process will steal away the power of hydrating from the watermelon. 

If your dog can handle dairy products you can also try to make watermelon yoghurt treats as they are healthier and tastier. However, you need to choose a yoghurt that has no sugar contents in it, just plain low fat yoghurt. 

For this process you need to fill half of the ice cube with yoghurt and then put the watermelon (cut in very small pieces) on top of them. Now you need to free your treats and it will turn out to be really tasty. 

Can Dogs Eat Watermelon

How Much Watermelon Can a Dog Eat? 

When we consume too much of anything be it good or bad, it harms us. It is just the same for dogs too. No matter how beneficial watermelon is, when you feed too much of it to your dog it will cause him or her diarrhea / vomiting / other digestive problems. 

Watermelon contains minerals and vitamin imbalances such as high amounts of vitamin A, B6 and C. This is the main reason as to why you can not give your dog fruits everyday. 

It is better to give your dog occasionally. Hot summer days are a great time to feed your dog watermelon as it would keep your dog hydrated. You can also include it in your training session. 

It has been much researched and has been proved that only 10 % of your dog’s diet can consist of treats and snacks. If you go for more, it will significantly affect your dog’s health. 

If you think about the total diet then you can only give 20 % of it fruits and veggies. It is suggested that your dog can eat 150 grams of watermelon in a day. However, the total count depends on many things like his or her weight, age, exercises, neutered or not etc. 

On average statistics any dog can not consume more than 50 calories of watermelon in a day and that is 150 grams of it. 

Benefits of watermelon for Dogs? 

Can dogs have Watermelon

As we have discussed earlier dogs can eat watermelon flesh, it will not cause him or her any harm. Now let us talk about the benefits of the watermelon which gets transferred to our furry friend. 

The rind of the watermelon can create gastronomical problems in your dog’s stomach and just a seed can cause intestinal blockage which can be extremely painful for your fluff. These can cause diarrhea and stomach pain too. 

You need to give only 150 grams in a day which will be an estimated one cup that’s all. You need to dice then carefully so that no seeds get left behind by mistake. The benefits of consuming watermelon for your dog are —-

  1. Watermelon makes your dog’s immune system strong. 
  2. It also contributes in repairing the tissues that have been damaged in some ways. 
  3. Watermelon can reduce the chances of getting cancer as it drives away the free radicals that are dangerous. 
  4. There are serotonin residing in our dog’s bowels, brain and blood platelets which gets an improvement after your dog consumes watermelon. 
  5. Sometimes when the body systems need a boost in turning the food into energy. Watermelon does the job.
  6. Watermelon improves the eye conditions a dog might be having. 
  7. This also has the power to keep the blood pressure normal, reduce the chances of heart diseases and help the muscles function better. 

Are Watermelons Safe For Dogs? 

Yes watermelons are very much safe for dogs as long you do not feed them a lot of it. If you keep it in moderation, it will be safe as well as it will give your dog many health benefits which will improve his or her health. 

There are many types of vitamins, minerals and other necessary nutrients that keep the body healthy. Watermelon also has many antioxidants and lycopenes too. Watermelon consists of Vitamin A, B6, C, minerals such as potassium, iron, fiber, calcium, protein, sugar and carbohydrate etc. 

As we all know that watermelon contains a lot of water (about 92 % of it is just water). So it keeps your dog hydrated and this is a big advantage as dogs do not drink enough water throughout the day.

So all in all we can say that watermelon is a very good option to feed your dog but you have to be careful about the amount you are giving to your dog. You should not give too much, if you are unsure then start with one or two bites.

After your dog has gotten used to the new food then you can increase the amount to one cup of watermelon. But do not exceed this limit otherwise the consequences can be severe. 

When Is Watermelon Bad For Dogs? 

If you want a simple answer then watermelon is not unsafe or bad for dogs except when you give your dog watermelon seeds or rinds. Even the skin is also risky to give to your dog. 

Dogs have a far more sensitive stomach than humans. They might not have much problem consuming human foods but there are some things or parts of fruits that are harmful to them. 

However, watermelon seeds / rinds / skins are not toxic but after ingesting it might cause a lot of problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, digestion issue, constipation, intestinal blockage etc.  

So that is why when you are giving these parts of watermelon, it is bad for dogs. You can cut the watermelon in small bite sized pieces so that you can clear out those seeds that stay hidden layer by layer.

Can dogs eat watermelon Rind

How Should You Feed Your Dog Watermelon? 

There are various ways you can give watermelon to your dog. You can simply cut those watermelons into bite size pieces, make sure there are seeds / rinds or skins. 

Or you can make it a watermelon yoghurt food. You need to freeze the ice cubes which will contain yoghurt and watermelon. You need to buy a sugar free, additive free, low fat yoghurt so that it does not cause health problems. 

Or you can also make frozen watermelon which will not need much just watermelon and coconut milk / water. You can skip the milk if you think your dog will not be able to handle that. You need to blend the watermelon and milk / water and then put it into small ice cubes. Now you need to freeze them. Now you can give them to your dog. 

You can also make dehydrated watermelon treats by cutting them into small pieces and putting them into a dehydrator. This will make a very interesting snack for your four legged love. 

You should know that when you prepare the watermelon like this, it will not be hydrating like it was before. This benefit of the watermelon will be gone after you dehydrate it.   

Can dogs eat watermelon Rind?

Absolutely no, you should never give your dogs watermelon rind. It is very risky for them. Rinds / skins and seeds cause many health harms to your dog. Your dog will not understand and try to eat it and this can cause stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting. 

You should throw the rinds away or keep it out of your dog’s reach as sometimes dogs can be stubborn and once you tell them not to eat it, they might go for it out of curiosity.

Can dogs eat watermelon Seeds?

Can dogs eat watermelon Seeds

If your dog has eaten some watermelon seeds and now here you are looking for answers then let me assure you some seeds will not cause any harm to your dog. It is not toxic to the dogs. 

However, you should not give your dog any seed at all because when they consume too many of it, they will experience intestinal blockage. This can be a serious situation where your dog can be in a life or death situation. 

So it is best to check first before giving your dog watermelon seeds. If your dog has eaten quite a lot of seeds then you need to take him or her to the vet as soon as you can or you can consult a vet first before taking him or her to the vet. 

Can dogs eat watermelon skin?

The skin of the watermelon is hard and rough. Suppose your dog was not able to chew it properly so it decided to swallow it. It can get stuck in the throat which can be fatal. 

Or even if it goes inside the stomach, it may create intestinal blockage. Intestinal blockage is another serious and very dangerous situation you do not want your dog to be in. 

Now, even if your dog has managed to not cause intestinal blockage, it will cause gastronomical distress which is not serious but can cause diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain.

All of these situations can be avoided if you do not give your dog the skin of the watermelon. The skin does not even contain valuable nutrients. So it is not necessary to feed that to your dog. 

However, if your dog has already eaten a big chunk of it and is showing signs of vomiting or diarrhea please take him or her to the vet immediately. 

Can dogs eat seedless watermelon?

Seedless watermelons have been generated many years ago and are produced till now. This type of watermelon does not contain any black or mature seeds but it does have white seeds. 

It is better if you take your time and remove those seeds as it has not been declared that they cause no harm. 

So there is a possibility it can cause problems so prevention is the better path to follow. After all you do not want to put your dog through any health issues. 

Can dogs eat watermelon with white seeds?

Can dogs eat watermelon with white seeds

Many people believe that humans can not eat black seeds but white seeds are good for them. But this myth is completely wrong. Humans can eat both the seeds. But what about our dog friends? 

Well, any kind of watermelon seed is bad for dogs. It causes many health problems such as diarrhea, vomiting etc. you should remove the white seeds as well as the black seeds and then feed it to your dog.  

Source:

https://trupanion.com/pet-care/can-dogs-eat-watermelon