Is it OK to Feed Watermelon to Your Pet Dog?

In case your pet is shying away from eating fruit, try giving fruit juice. Make sure that the juice is 100% pure and does not contain any added sugar.

However, can watermelons be shared with our pet dog, particularly when fruits are not a requirement in a dog's diet? Read on to know about the safety aspect of adding watermelon to your dog's diet.

There is absolutely no harm in giving a watermelon to your pet. Watermelons are excellent sources of vitamins A and C as well as minerals like potassium and magnesium. Moreover, they allow your dogs to hydrate as they contain more than 70% water. So, feeding a watermelon can certainly contribute to enhance your pet's health.

In your enthusiasm to share a watermelon with your dog, make sure that you do not feed beyond his capacity to digest. Watermelons are good for your pet's health but that doesn't mean overfeeding will provide more nutrition.

One cannot forget that watermelon is high in water content. Hence, overfeeding can lead to diarrhea. So, whenever you offer watermelon to your pet, make sure it is in moderation.

The amount you feed will vary depending upon the size of your dog. For instance, if you have a small breed dog such as a Jack Russel, Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, or small terrier, giving a small slice is enough.

However, an adult Golden Retriever certainly has the capacity to consume more slices. In general, 1 to 3 slices of 1-inch watermelon wedge is more than enough and will provide an ample dose of nutrition to your dog.

Also, make sure that you remove the seeds before feeding watermelon slices to your dog. This is because, dogs find the seeds very difficult to digest; hence their consumption is likely to cause stomach upset.

Moreover, the seeds can actually be harmful to your dog as cyanide is an important constituent of many fruit seeds. The seeds can be toxic to your dog when ingested in excess. Even ingesting a few may cause stomach upset in some dogs. So it is best to avoid feeding the seeds to your pet.

As far as offering the rind of the watermelon is concerned, you should avoid it. While the rind contains a great deal of nutrients, if not chewed properly and swallowed, it can get stuck in the stomach and cause an obstruction, leading to a serious digestive problem in dogs.

Also, when introducing the fruit to your dog's diet, just give a small piece and check how your dog responds. If your pet is comfortable, eating well, and does not suffer from gas or stomach upset after the meal, then offering the fruit in moderation is not an issue.

On the whole, while watermelon is not bad for dog health, feeding it in small portions without the rind and the seeds is necessary to keep digestive issues at bay.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a veterinarian.