Whether you are a dog person or a cat person, you would agree that they are the animals of prey and this is why people cannot think of a fruit as a cat or dog feed. However, dogs are known, from time to time, for eating fruits and they also love to eat watermelons. Yet, to eat the watermelon or not is a question of very perplexing nature. Dogs and watermelon simply do not go side by side, if you do not believe us, shut your eyes and imagine a dog eating a watermelon, we bet it is not something easy to imagine; it’s like thinking of blue whale flying high in the sky.
So, can dogs eat watermelon? The answer is obviously yes. First of all, they can eat watermelons because they love to get watermelon as a treat from their owners. Secondly, eating watermelon is only known for being too good for health. A watermelon is packed and loaded with so many nutrients, hydration and vitamins that vets also suggest watermelon for dogs. It is just that a watermelon is not immune of demerits. Vets believe that one of the reasons why dog owners come to them with complaints of their dogs getting sick after eating watermelons, is that they feed them the watermelon with its seeds and rind and this is where exactly everything gets wrong. Let’s see how and when dogs can and cannot eat watermelons.
-
Contents
- Is watermelon ok for dogs?
- How much watermelon is ok for dogs?
- When it the most appropriate time to give a watermelon to a dog?
- Infographic
- Dogs and watermelon? What is so good about watermelon?
- Can dogs eat watermelon rind?
- Can dogs eat watermelon seeds?
- Can dogs eat watermelon without rind and seeds, and avoid any negative health effects?
- Can dogs eat watermelon shell?
- How much watermelon is not too much watermelon for dogs?
Is watermelon ok for dogs?
Yes, watermelon is perfectly ok for dogs. Not only it is okay, but it should be a part of their regular diet. Why? Because watermelons are packed a loaded with very healthy minerals and nutrients e.g. vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium.[1]
Not only watermelons are full of these vitamins and nutrients, they also outpour abundant hydration and still they have as low as 50 calories a cup. The National Watermelon Promotion Board opines that watermelon is so good for health on account of it having 92% water.[2] Another reason why you would consider feeding watermelon to your dog is it being inexpensive and widely available. It is one of the few fruits with so many health benefits and so low price.
-
How much watermelon is ok for dogs?
Yes, there arises another complicated question of how much. Is watermelon ok for dogs? Absolutely yes, but how much? As per the insight provided by www.petcha.com, one to 3 bits of a watermelon slice should be considered a good enough treat for one time.[3]
-
When it the most appropriate time to give a watermelon to a dog?
Another question linked with this same question is what is the most appropriate time to give a watermelon to one’s dog. Well, watermelon is a great delight and you can give it anytime and any day.
However, to make the most out of this fruit packed and loaded with energy, you should use watermelon as a thirst quencher. So, when you are out on a stroll or running with your dog, it is a good idea to ration watermelon with you and give a piece or two to your dog to make sure that he remains hydrated.[4]
Infographic
-
Dogs and watermelon? What is so good about watermelon?
The answer lies in its benefits. We have mentioned what a watermelon holds for your dog. It is full of vitamins, potassium and magnesium as well as loads of hydration. Let us now have a look at the properties of these nutrients.
- Vitamin A
- Is known for maintaining good vision
- Can play a vital role in the healthy and steady growth of bones
- Helps a lot with one of the most important functions of an animal’s life: reproduction
- Boosts body cells division and growth and thus keeps one healthy
- Boosts the immune system and thus provides a protective layer against different ailments
- Boosts the skin health and protects it
- Vitamin B6
- Boosts the cardiovascular system and thus keeps the heart healthy
- Improves the digestive system and thus makes sure that food turns fast into energy
- Boosts the immune system – combined with vitamin A it can do miracles for your dog’s immune system
- Ads to the muscularity – if you love your pup to grow into a muscular dog, you must feed it a watermelon
- Empowers the nervous system – a perfect vitamin to empower heart as well as brain – body functions
- Potassium
- Relief from stroke – if you love watching your dog play “throw and fetch” all the day, irrespective of the heat and sweating, you must know dogs and watermelon are made for each other
- Relief from blood pressure – again it helps keep your dog’s blood pressure normal and his heart healthy
- Relief from heart and kidney disorders – what could be more important that these vital internal organs
- Relief from anxiety and stress – everyone wants to have a canine with killer confidence and potassium in the watermelon can help this
- Enhanced muscle strength – so if B6 was not enough to turn your pup into a muscular dog, potassium in the same watermelon would do the job
- Metabolism – it keeps the body healthy, working and happy and so would be your dog if it is fed a watermelon regularly
- Magnesium
- One hell of an energy booster
- It helps a lot with digestion and thus keep your dog out of trouble
- Relief from muscle aches and spasms – a little aid to boos a little sportsmanship in your dog
- Boosts the cardiovascular system and thus ensures a long and healthy life
- Prevents migraine or other medical issues related to brain or nerves
Due to these huge health benefits, experts at www.canigivemydog.com suggest the proper and regular use of watermelon in a dog’s diet.[5]
-
Can dogs eat watermelon rind?
Well, this is the hell no region. First of all, rind does not bear much of the nutrients that are found in a watermelon. More importantly, chewing the rind can cause a dog gastrointestinal problems. This includes, but is not limited to, stomach aches, nausea and vomiting etc.
So, next time if a friend asks you “Can dogs eat watermelon ring?” tell them “Yes, but only if they want to have a gastrointestinal upset and relevant consequences.” One of the reasons of finding a dog wagging tail in pain and farting too much is because of digestive issues arising out of unhealthy diet like too much eggs or watermelon rind. Get it! Rind is simply indigestible for a dog’s stomach and it causes unrest in the stomach.
Dog lovers as well as nutritionists oppose the idea and we are not aware of a single dog expert or owner who approves feeding watermelon rind to dogs. Some people strictly oppose it, so much so that they consider rind of watermelon for dogs the worst thing that a dog owner can think of.[6] Others do not consider it the worst thing that a dog owner can do to their dog, but they still consider rind injurious to a dog’s health.[7]
When the we checked the expert opinion on www.animalso.com we came to know that they too consider rind of watermelon for dogs a bad idea, while making clear that human stomach can still digest watermelon rind and they can enjoy its health benefits.[8]
-
Can dogs eat watermelon seeds?
This is another no go area. As a matter of fact, eating watermelon seeds might be way more dangerous for dogs than eating watermelon rind. The seeds can block the intestine and thus even cause the leakage of poisonous intestinal juices resulting in failure of internal organs and death.
Oh the horror! Well, if you do not believe us ask a human doctor as to how many people die every year due to intestinal blockage and remember that dog is only the closest friend of human beings. See, seeds of watermelon for dogs is a bad idea because first of all they have little to no nutrients and secondly they can lead to intestinal blockage, failure of internal organs and even death. However, you can save the day by immediately taking your canine to the nearest veterinary hospital.[9]
Some experts explain this bad idea in detail. They believe that even if the watermelon seeds do not make the situation as worse as a death scenario, there will still be digestion issues. These experts too believe that in case of feeding watermelon seeds to a dog, the danger of intoxication is very much there.[10] This intoxication actually happens as a result of the leakage of intestinal juices in the body of the canine, which, as we have already mentioned, fails the internal organs and leads to death unless proper and immediate treatment is not provided.
-
Can dogs eat watermelon without rind and seeds, and avoid any negative health effects?
Tricky question. Normally all learned dog owners know that rind and seeds are not good for dogs. However, even if you exclude the rind and seeds part, still a red and juicy slice of watermelon bears a lot of sugar. Too much sugar can upset your dog’s stomach.
This means your dog would have digestion issues, leading to too many nasty farts, unwanted weight gain (who wants a lazy and fat dog instead of a “fetch the ball bullet”?), diabetes (dog is man’s closest friend and highly likely to have similar health issues too), and tooth decay.[11]
-
Can dogs eat watermelon shell?
Watermelon’s shell is almost the same as watermelon rind. Some people with a keen understanding might opine that shell only means the green outer shell while rind includes the yellowish silhouette on the inner side. It is another tomaato/tomayto debate! However, the matter of fact is that both inner and outer layers of a watermelon are not good for dogs. Plus they do not have many nutrients.
Moreover, why a dog lover would feed a tasteless and hard shell to their beloved canine while they can easily feed them the juicy and nutrient, red part of the watermelon for only a fraction of the price that they pay for other fruits. Lest we forget, watermelon is one of the most affordable fruits. So why feed Rocky the rind or shell, while you can treat him with a cup full of watermelon dices?
-
How much watermelon is not too much watermelon for dogs?
This one is a good question; watermelon is a very healthy treat for dogs. However, too many slices of watermelon will boost the sugar level, which is not good. This is why the United States Department of Agriculture suggests one cup of sliced/chopped/diced watermelon; since it has only 46 calories.[12]
Conclusion
Dogs are the closest friends to human beings and a dog is the first and foremost metaphor for loyalty and friendship. Let us not feed our friends something that we do not consider good for ourselves. Raise your hands if you love to eat a watermelon’s rind or seeds? We know, no one would raise hand to this! Well, then why come up with questions like can dogs eat watermelon rind or can dogs eat watermelon seeds?
A dog can be fed a watermelon, but make sure that watermelon or other fruits is not the only treat that you offer to your friend. No two nutrients are the same. Your dog is basically an animal of prey; if you disagree, we would request you to have a look at those canine tooth again. Feed them with meat every now and then to make sure that they get all the alternative nutrients and energy as well. Plus, let us not forget the veggies. They should also be a part of your dog’s regular diet.
Only a balanced diet can ensure a healthy dog life. If you want to enjoy playing the throw and fetch with your best friend for a long period, we suggest you to make sure that he gets the diet that he deserves.
Resources:
[1] http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/can-dogs-eat-watermelon/
[2] http://www.watermelon.org/
[3] https://www.petcha.com/13-best-fruits-for-dogs-to-eat/
[4] http://canigivemydog.com/watermelon
[5] http://canigivemydog.com/watermelon
[6] https://ultimatehomelife.com/can-dogs-eat-watermelon-and-watermelon-rind/
[7] https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/can-dogs-eat-watermelon-905c19cdb6577cb7
[8] https://animalso.com/can-dogs-eat-watermelon/
[9] http://www.thelabradorsite.com/can-dogs-eat-watermelon/
[10] https://ultimatehomelife.com/can-dogs-eat-watermelon-and-watermelon-rind/
[11] http://www.thelabradorsite.com/can-dogs-eat-watermelon/
[12] http://www.thelabradorsite.com/can-dogs-eat-watermelon/
Add Comment