Yes, dogs can have watermelon. However, there is more to learn before tossing your pooch a slice to enjoy. Dogs can eat watermelon, but you need to ensure that you are not sharing the seeds and the watermelon rind with them. Can dogs eat watermelon rind? It’s very likely your dog may eat the rind and seeds if allowed, but they can not digest these parts of the watermelon, and this will create gastrointestinal issues. Please ensure you are giving only the fruit!
Vets suggest … Always strive to maintain the ratio or 90/10 where 90% of your dogs calories come from their suggested diet and only 10% comes from treats. Please check with your dog health professional before giving your dog foods not in their normal diet.
How is watermelon good for dogs?
Watermelon is low in calories (around 50 calories/cup), contains potassium, and other nutritious vitamins. Watermelon is also extremely high in water content, so it is a nice treat on a hot day for sure. Fiber content is also a benefit of watermelon for dogs, meaning it can be good for their digestion. Watermelon contains Lycopene too, which is a powerful antioxidant and is considered to have many positive benefits in dog (and human) health. In a nutshell, watermelon can be a really nice addition to your dogs diet if used to complement their existing diet.
Why is watermelon bad for dogs?
Watermelon is bad for dogs when you don’t heed the advice to remove the seeds, eliminate the rind or if you over feed them the flesh. Leaving seeds in or allowing the rind to be consumed will manifest in GI issues as mentioned above. Too much watermelon flesh might show in their urine and stool. Meaning, they might not be going potty like they normally do. This can be bad on road trips, or when left inside. When feeding your dog watermelon for the 1st time, be aware of the portion size, make sure you are available when they need to be let outside to potty and please make sure you continue to feed them their normal diet. Don’t go overboard giving them watermelon just because they like it.
How do you feed watermelon to your dogs?
This is an easy one. Watermelon is really easy to work with and you can quickly prepare a dish of watermelon in small bites (without seeds or rind) that they can enjoy. Just remove the find, pull remove the seeds, or buy a seedless watermelon, and you are ready to serve. Watermelon is also a food that you can freeze to give your pet a different presentation that they might like, also blended into a juice or smoothie is a popular option. One additional thing to consider is that if your dog really enjoys eating watermelon, it can be a great vehicle to “hide” their medications or supplements when there are challenges giving them meds. Again, with all foods and medicines, always check with your veterinarian before giving them anything outside their prescribed diet. What about other melons? can dogs eat cantaloupe
Recipes for dog treats containing watermelon
The next time you buy a watermelon, don’t forget to freeze a dozen or so 1” square chunks, usually there is SO much it’s hard to eat it all! Then you can toss a bit of frozen watermelon and coconut milk or greek yogurt (sugar free options only) in the blender and place the puree inside your kong toy or you can save cubes in the freezer! A ratio of 1 cup of watermelon to 2 tablespoons of yogurt is an appropriate mix, make as much as you like at this ratio. 2 cups of watermelon with ⅓ cup of coconut milk treated the same way will yield another excellent treat. Dogs love these natural, fun, and healthy cool down treats! But, before you make these you need to consider Can dogs eat yogurt and Can dogs eat coconut milk the answer is yes to both, but you should read what you need to be aware of with these foods before serving.
We’ve yet to find more recipes that dogs really love outside the ones shared above. Please share if you have a recipe that you would like added for dogs and watermelon. Again, one alternative to consider is seedless watermelon for dogs. That can save you some time in preparation. Can dogs eat watermelon? Yes they can.
What do Vets or Nutritionists have to say about dogs and watermelon?
You can google for quotes so until we have our own original quotes we aren’t planning to list any here. Are you a vet or nutritionist and would you like to contribute to this article on dogs and watermelon? If so, please contact us.