Can Dogs Eat Watermelon? A very frequent question that surely if you have a dog with you at home has ever arisen is, what can and can not eat dogs. There are people who advise giving our dogs food and others consider the opposite.
The reality is that dogs can eat a large amount of food that we usually eat, which we also call “human food”, as long as they are not administered in large quantities once or in a day.
For example, doubts arise when talking about fruits and vegetables, and a very common one, which comes to mind especially in summer, is about watermelon.
Watermelon has a high amount of water and nutrients, so it is good for the dog’s health and is also low in calories. But does this mean that dogs can eat watermelon? Keep reading if you want to know more about this topic because in this article of a COMO we tell you everything.
Can dogs eat watermelon? – the answer
The answer to whether dogs can eat watermelon is YES, as long as a series of considerations are carried out to give it properly and avoid damaging their stomachs. Keep in mind that you have to:
- Remove the watermelon bark: keep in mind that dogs should not eat the bark of this fruit because it is very difficult to digest for them, just as it happens to us. If they eat it, especially without barely chewing it, gastrointestinal problems may occur.
- Remove the seeds from the watermelon: it is very important to prevent the dog from ingesting the seeds since otherwise gastrointestinal problems could occur as with the bark. From diarrhea or colitis to intestinal obstruction if different non-digestible parts of food accumulate.
- Check the amount you offer: if you manage large amounts of watermelon could make you damage the stomach and diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, so you should avoid giving too much at once.
All this does not mean that if you eat a piece of bark or a few nuggets something serious will happen to them, much less, but it should not be done regularly or in quantity. However, if you give watermelon well prepared from time to time or daily but a small amount, you will take advantage of its benefits and you will surely love it.
The suggestion of watermelon consumption for dogs
Experts suggest that in your dog’s diet, only 10% of calorie intake should come from treats or snacks. Also, fruits and vegetables should not make up more than 20% of a dog’s diet. Finally
For a dog that weighs 25 pounds, he should consume between 500 and 750 calories per day, depending on his age, physical activity, and whether he has been neutered.
If she wants to use it as a treat, using the 10% maximum rule, she should eat 50 calories of watermelon a day; which are 150 grams in total.
However, with high doses of vitamin A and B6, this would exceed the recommended amount of vitamin A suggested (see table below).
| Watermelon Nutrients (per 150 grams) |
Nutrition suggested by the dog (weighing 11 kilos) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 50 calories | 50 to 75 calories as a treat |
| Vitamin A | 865 micrograms | 380 micrograms |
| Vitamin B6 | 100 milligrams | 100 milligrams |
Benefits of watermelon for dogs
Watermelon provides a considerable amount of benefits to your dog. The following nutrients and components stand out in the nutritional composition of watermelon :
- Water.
- Fibers.
- Vitamin C.
- Vitamin B.
- Magnesium.
- Potassium.
- Carbohydrates (sugars).
By this composition, it is considered that the benefits of watermelon for dogs that are more important for their health care:
- It is antioxidant, depurative, and diuretic, thanks to the fact that it provides a large amount of water and various vitamins and fibers, especially vitamin C.
- this is a very refreshing and moisturizing fruit, especially good to take care of your dog in summer.
- It is low in calories, which means it will not make your dog fat.
- It has carotenoids, such as lycopene which is also very antioxidant, magnesium and potassium, which is also very healthy for dogs, especially for their eyesight, circulation, and proper functioning of various organs.
this is mainly because of carbohydrates or sugars that the fruit should be limited to just the right amounts in dogs’ diets. Fruits contain sugars naturally and if we abuse our dog, we will end up offering an excess of carbohydrates since, in addition, they will also consume them through other foods. In comparison with other fruits, watermelon has very few sugars in its composition, so it is one of the fruits that can most frequently be given to dogs. Specifically, there are less than 7 g of sugars per 100 g of watermelon.
How to feed my dog watermelon
If you do not know how to give watermelon to your dog, do not worry because, then, we explain it to you:
- The first thing you will have to do is remove the seeds and the bark to prevent the dog from ingesting these parts, as they can be harmful to him (as for us).
- Offer the dog a small piece of watermelon for the first time, if you notice that it reacts well and after a few hours you notice that it has not had problems digesting it, you can give it another piece. The maximum amount of watermelon to give is about 4 or 5 medium pieces.
- You can give it to her alone, or you can prepare a fruit salad for your dog and offer her a full trough from time to time.
You can consider giving your dog watermelon as a reward or reward, as part of positive reinforcement. After offering your watermelon ration it is very important to observe if you urinate more than normal or if your stools are too soft, or even diarrhea. If so, you will have to remove the watermelon from your diet, because it does not assimilate it well.
Other fruits recommended for dogs
Fruits are perfect nutritional supplements for your dog, in addition to a pleasant reward! Keep in mind that if your goal is to introduce the fruit to the dog’s diet it is essential that it is varied, that is, not always offer the same fruit. Therefore, you can choose to alternate different types of fruits. Don’t you know what fruits are good for dogs? Pears, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, or mango are some of the healthiest for your dog too. You always have to offer your dog these fruits without seeds or bark, only the part of the pulp that is the most nutritious and juicy.
So, some of the fruits you can give your dog and their properties are:
- Pears: they are a good option due to their high vitamin content and also helps to clean your teeth.
- Strawberries: they are a natural source of vitamin C, so it is an antioxidant and an excellent diuretic because it favors intestinal transit.
- Mangoes: they provide a large number of vitamins and fibers and being sweet, you can enjoy them.
- Blueberries: they have high antioxidant content and prevents the appearance of heart-related diseases.
As you can see, dogs can eat watermelon and they can also eat fruits, but remember to offer them in small quantities since they have to be a small part of their diet.
