Can Dogs Eat Watermelon?
Yes, dogs can eat watermelon and other melons without any problem. Most fruits are fine to give to your dog. They provide healthy fiber without adding a lot of calories to your dog’s diet.
Nutritional information
Watermelon, in particular, is a good source of potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. A human serving size is 154 grams, which is a little more than a cup. That much watermelon only contains 46 calories. It is composed of 89 percent carbohydrates, 4 percent fats, and 7 percent proteins. It’s a very good food to add to a diet for weight loss because it will make you (or your dog) feel fuller.
Watermelon also has a surprisingly high level of omega-6 fatty acid (77 mg per 1 cup serving) and it contains some trace minerals that dogs need.
Dogs can eat the pink flesh of the watermelon and, if you cut it into smaller bites for them, they can also eat the outer rind of the watermelon. Some dogs like both parts. Some people also eat the rinds as a vegetable and it contains many nutrients that are not in the pink flesh of the watermelon.
Watermelons with or without seeds are both all right for dogs to consume, unless for some reason your dog is sensitive to the seeds, but there is no data on the seeds containing any chemicals that would irritate a dog’s gastrointestinal tract.
Watermelon is considered a slight diuretic and may make your dog need to urinate more. It also contains high amounts of beta carotene.
Watermelons grow around the world and probably originated in the wild in southern Africa. Watermelons have been cultivated in the U.S. for several hundred years.
Preparing watermelon
You can feed watermelon to your dog as a snack or add pieces of watermelon to your dog’s meals. You can make a slushy frosty paws type snack for your dog by pureeing watermelon with some yogurt and freezing it.
Although watermelon is called a “melon,” it is not in the same family as the cantaloupe or other melons. It is not as good for cooking as it is likely to disintegrate when you add it to meat dishes. You can use cantaloupe and other melons for meals and they will maintain their shapes in the meals. Watermelon is about 91.45 percent water which explains why it falls apart when you cook with it.
Conclusion
Try giving your dog some watermelon as a snack and see how he likes it. If your dog is on a diet to lose weight, watermelon makes a great treat. It is tasty and filling and won’t add calories to your dog’s diet. Or, choose some other fruits to add to your dog’s diet. Lots of dogs love fruits and they usually don’t get many in their ordinary meals. Fruit is very healthy for your dog and makes an excellent snack or treat.
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