Can Dogs Eat Watermelon? Or Is Watermelon Bad For Dogs?

Personally, I love eating watermelons, as they’re one of my favorite fruits out there. And if you do too, then we can be good friends! But, we all know that’s not what you’re here for. You’re here to know if it’s safe for your dog to eat watermelon or not.

After all, watermelon is a fan-favorite fruit that’s near and dear to many people’s hearts. Can you even think of someone you know that doesn’t just love watermelon?

However, is watermelon one of the best and most powerful treats you can give your dog when you feel like rewarding them for something or giving them a well deserved snack? Or is feeding your dog watermelon a very bad idea you should stay away from?

This article will let you in on all the details you have to know about this issue, so read along!

Can Dogs Eat Watermelon? The Short Answer

The short answer to that question is, YES, dogs can eat watermelon. Watermelon is in no way, shape or form toxic or poisonous to your dog in and of itself, assuming it’s fed to dogs in acceptable portions and in the right way.

If you’re even up for it, here’s a real nice watermelon frozen dog treat you can prepare yourself for Fido in no time! Check it out here.

Now, in regards to the important information you came here for, some exceptions do exist when it comes to feeding your dog watermelon, and some conditions have to be followed to ensure your dog eats watermelon safely, all of which we will talk about in this article.

(Also Read: Can Dogs Eat Cantaloupe? Or Is Cantaloupe Bad For Dogs To Eat?)

Can Dogs Have Watermelon Rind?

Nope, dogs can’t eat watermelon rind, as this is one of the worst things you could ever give your dog to eat.

Watermelon Rind For Humans

Sure, you may have come across a dozen of articles online and may have heard a dozen of fitness experts tell you not to throw away the watermelon rind after it’s all that’s left, because watermelon rind is extremely beneficial to our health.

It’s often recommended that you consume the watermelon rind after running it through a blender so it’s more edible.

Health benefits such as increased sexual performance, increased energy levels, improved focus throughout the day and lowering blood pressure and better stability have all been attributed to the consumption of watermelon rind, and while that’s completely true for us humans, we have to understand that this is not the same for our dogs at all.

Why Watermelon Rind For Dogs Is Different

Eating watermelon rind is a perfect natural medicine for you and I, but eating watermelon rind is a very bad thing for dogs to be doing.

Not only do dogs not get nearly the same health benefits humans get from eating watermelon rind, but they also have a terrible time digesting that stuff and that would just be asking for gastrointestinal problems to come their way.

Not to mention the fact that watermelon rind can sometimes prove to be very hard on your dog’s teeth, and since some dogs are usually stubborn and insist on biting and chewing their way through the watermelon rind, this can only mean one thing down the line – tooth damage.

You can read more about what the AKC has to say about this on this page.

So, the only part of the watermelon that your dog should ever be eating is the red watermelon flesh part, nothing else.

Watermelon isn’t the only case out there where the rind should be avoided and not fed to your dog, as we’ve already covered the case so far in different articles on this website, such as this piece where we also discuss why feeding orange peels/rinds is bad for dogs.

Why Is Watermelon Good For Dogs?

Watermelon is an excellent source of Vitamin C (just like carrots are good for dogs because of the high levels of Vitamin C they contain), Vitamin A, Potassium and Magnesium.

Now, whether these improve the overall health and nutritional profile of your dog or not is always a subject of controversy, but there is more evidence out there to have us believe that they do in fact benefit our dog’s immune system.

Both ways, they don’t do harm to your furry friend, so you don’t lose or risk anything by having your dog get these vitamins from watermelon.

Moreover, watermelons are an excellent way to keep your physically active dog well hydrated and healthy, since they are made up of mostly water by nature (just like cucumbers).

So, if you’re playing with your dog out in the yard on a hot summer Sunday, you now know to save your watermelon slice for times like that.

This is an excellent practice in combination with giving your dog adequate amounts of water to drink at the same time, relying on watermelon alone to keep your dog hydrated won’t cut it.

The amount of water in the watermelon won’t be enough to quench your dog’s thirst in the first place, it just adds up alongside water you give your dog to drink.

How Much Watermelon Should I Feed My Dog?

As with most fruits when it comes to feeding them to your dog, watermelons should be given to your dog in moderation, occasionally and within the context of a well thought-out and planned diet.

Usually, if you’re incorporating watermelon as part of the treats in your dog training regimen, around 2-3 pieces of a 1 inch watermelon wedge seems to be a good starting point.

Start off slow and steady to see how your dog reacts to the watermelon.

Feeding them more than that all at once without them being used to it is surely going to cause them digestion problems, most notably of which is diarrhea … and you don’t want that mess on your hands, that’s for sure!

When Is Watermelon Bad For Dogs?

Watermelon Seeds Are Bad For Dogs

If your dog eats watermelon with the seeds in them, there’s a good change that could cause an intestinal blockage and digestion problems, so make sure you remove any and all seeds in the watermelon before you feed it to your dog.

Sure, watermelon seeds aren’t nearly as big as pits from other fruits such as peach and avocado, hence aren’t nearly as dangerous for your dog as far as choking on a seed is concerned, but the danger of intestinal blockage is still there due to the high number of seeds in watermelon that can sometimes add up real fast.

Not to mention the possibility of the watermelon seeds causing your dog intoxication (just like if your dog eats grapefruit seeds) so better safe than sorry.

Also Read:

A Note About Seedless Watermelon

Since we’re talking about watermelon seeds, an important note must be said about “seedless watermelon”, in case you’ve got one at home and are considering feeding some of it to your dog.

Seedless watermelons indeed do not have the usual small black seeds that your common watermelon has, but they do have small white colored seeds.

While the risk of these smaller white seeds causing intestinal blockage in your dog isn’t as high as the risk that the larger sized black colored seeds pose, there still is a small risk and you should still ideally remove these small white seeds before your dog swallows them.

The Final Verdict

To sum it all up, it’s perfectly fine to feed your dog watermelon.

Just remember to remove the seeds and rind, incorporate watermelons into your dog’s diet slow and steady and monitor how they react to it (especially when it comes to their bowel movements) and incorporate it within the scope of the overall diet you have set for your dog, because just like any other fruit, it’s still food.

7 COMMENTS

  1. How could any sane person think that watermelon rind is “hard on your dog’s teeth?” I am not sure what kind of dog you have or what their teeth are made of (maybe soap or butter?) but every dog I have ever met chews on bones. My current dog can crush bones with his teeth and the vet tells me that his teeth are great! Note that this a part retriever mutt with soft mouth…

    Moral of the story: I don’t think a watermelon rind is going to damage any mammals teeth unless they are already about to fall out.

  2. What evidence is there that the Rind is bad? Like examples of dogs? My dog seems to love it and its not hurting his teeth that’s for sure. Ill have to see if he has problems with pooping or throws up but I don’t see how the Rind is going to cause any issues.

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