Can Dogs Have Watermelon? Yummy Summer Treat or Poison?

It’s a beautiful summer day, and your family is over for a picnic in the backyard. Some watermelon is cut up and served with lots of napkins and paper cups for seed spitting. Your four legged mooch, Anabelle, is sitting nicely by your 3-year old niece. The next thing you know, Annabelle’s face is dripping with pink sticky juice as your niece is feeding her watermelon slices. As you race over to their side of the table, two guilty faces look up, now what?

You are asking yourself “is it okay for dogs to eat watermelon?”

Short Answer – Yes, It’s perfectly fine for a dog to have watermelon, in moderation.

Dogs can eat this fruit and not have side effects if consumed in moderation. But, you shouldn’t feed your furry baby the rinds. The reason is that there could be pesticides on the outside of the melon if it weren’t grown organically. Pesticides aren’t something you want in your dog’s stomach because it could give her an upset stomach. The other problem is the seeds inside the watermelon. If your pet ingests too many seeds, then it can cause a blockage in the intestines, so remove all the seeds first.

When you do give Anabelle this yummy summer fruit, start her out slowly. Cut up the watermelon into small wedge shaped pieces about an inch long. Only give her one or two at first to see how she reacts to it. If she seems to be handling it pretty well, then you can give her a little more. But don’t give her more than about four pieces at one time.

Golden retriever eating a watermelon slice

What are the Health Benefits?

Not only does this nature’s fruit help to hydrate your canine companion, but it has other benefits too. Some of these benefits are:

Because the fruit has beta-carotene and Vitamin A, it can help to improve your dog’s vision and eyesight.
It can also help Anabelle’s brain, heart, and nerves by regulating and improving their functions.
Watermelon can maintain the role of healthy enzymes, provide the production of protein and promote proper bone growth.
Vitamins and minerals are used and properly absorbed because of certain nutrients in this juicy summer treat.
Also, it contains antioxidants which can take the free radicals in your pet’s body and counter the effects. The antioxidants can also reduce the chance of cancer, diabetes, and neurological disorders as well as strengthen her immune system.

Eating this tasty melon can also prevent your four-legged friend from getting constipated, diabetes mellitus and diarrhea. Plus, it improves the health of her colon and helps keep her weight down.
Other healthy things that this melon can do when eaten is to maintain Anabelle’s red blood functions. Red blood carries oxygen through your pet’s body. So the fruit helps the blood maintain its normal functions.
Watermelon can additionally assist with the functions of the thyroid glands. The thyroid produces hormones which regulate the rate of the metabolism in your pet’s body.
These vitamins and nutrients are what makes this fruit so healthy for your companion to eat: water, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin B6.

What are some Adverse Side Effects?

Luckily for Anabelle, your niece’s parents had already taken the seeds out of the water melon. They had also cut it from the rind before giving it to your three-year-old niece. You had caught her feeding Annabelle on the second piece, so your pet was okay. But what could’ve happened if you hadn’t caught your niece and she fed Annabelle 7 or 8 pieces?

If you feed your dog too much watermelon, some of the effects which could show up are:

Urination increase output: Since watermelon is made up of about 91% water, it can make your furry friend urinate frequently. If Anabelle would urinate too much, it can affect her bladder seriously.
Diarrhea: Since this juicy pink fruit isn’t digested as easily as other fruits are, Anabelle could end up with diarrhea even if she only eats a serving which is moderately sized. Unfortunately, it will be loose and messy.
Bloatness: If Anabelle does overeat melon, then she could become bloated. Then your dog’s stomach expands. It’s as uncomfortable as it looks. When her stomach becomes bloated, it puts pressure on her other organs. It’s caused by the fruit, gas, and fluids filling her belly. This can cause a lack of flow of blood to the stomach lining or heart. It could cause a tear in her stomach wall and even cause difficulty breathing. If dog bloat does occur, then you should take your pet to the vet.

So, dogs can eat watermelon if it’s given in moderation. It shouldn’t be considered a main meal, but an occasional treat and not fed daily.

If you haven’t tried giving your canine companion watermelon as a treat, go ahead and try it. It’s a delicious and healthy treat to add to your dog’s diet.

Question: Have you fed watermelon to your furry friend?