can-dogs-eat-watermelon

As the name implies, WATER-melon means a fruit belonging to the melon family but high in water content. The fruit is delicious and full of water and rich in some essential vitamins and minerals. It is indeed one of the most popular hydrating fruits.

Watermelon supplies water to increase and cool the body temperature, especially during the hot summer. According to research, the fruit is low in calories and fiber. But with the richness of this precious fruit, the question still remains, “can dogs eat watermelon?”

 

Where Did The Fruit Originate?

Watermelon has its origin from South Africa. From there, its popularity soon spread to the Coast of Nile River in Egypt before taking its journey to nearly every part of the world. Presently, it is grown in not lesser than 44 of 50 states of America.

Watermelon has a hard rind which is not eaten but discarded after removing the edible flesh. The edible soft flesh inside the rind is soft and often either red or white in color. According to research, the fruit contains a host of minerals, vitamins, and organic compounds.

 

Health Benefits Of Watermelon

Watermelon is rich in water. This can be very useful regarding maintaining the body water requirement, especially during the hot summer season.

Indeed, this explains why you will often see many people queuing up in front of a juice shop to either get a slice of watermelon or a cup of the juice. On a hot sunny day, a piece of watermelon slice will surely keep you cool.

The health benefits of watermelon are in the richness of its juice. The juice contains a reasonable amount of vitamins and minerals.

The fruit has a significant amount of vitamin C, fiber, protein, calcium, magnesium, and a large amount of potassium. Furthermore, it contains vitamin A, vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, and a wide variety of carotenoids and phytonutrients, including lycopene.

The following are some of the benefits this fruit has.

 

Good For The Kidney

Watermelon is rich in organic compounds which help in steaming down the plague of kidney disorder. The fruit contains a high content of potassium which helps to eliminate any form of toxin and deposits in the kidney. It also contains potassium that serves as a detergent.

Watermelon flushes out uric acid from the blood system. As a result, it keeps the kidney safe from damage. Also, watermelon has a large concentration of water. This high water content helps to induce urination. And through urination, health-threatening wastes are washed down deposits of from the kidney.

The fruit contains a significant level of antioxidants which are suitable for the healthy functioning of the kidney. These antioxidants also reduce the aging symptoms like wrinkles and age spots.

 

Body Hydration

Watermelon has a high concentration of water. So, when we eat the fruit, this water is released into the body system to hydrate it and prevent loss of body water. This explains how the fruit serves as a hydrant during the hot summer days.

 

Managing Blood Pressure

Watermelon also keeps down the blood pressure. The fruit has a good content of potassium and magnesium which control and check blood pressure.

Potassium acts as a vasodilator, which means it can reduce the tension and pressure in the blood circulatory system.

 

Managing The Proliferation Of Cancerous Cells

It is a scientific fact that watermelon contains significant levels of some rare but useful vitamins. Some of these are lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient compound that is increasingly being linked to cancer prevention.

Lycopene has been shown to significantly reduce the risks of prostate, lung, breast, colon, and endometrial cancer. The antioxidant potential of vitamin C coupled with the impact of lycopene makes watermelon an excellent fruit for fighting cancer.

Evidently, the health benefits of watermelon are countless. Therefore, feeding watermelon to dogs will release these benefits to them too. Or will they?

 

Should Dogs Eat Watermelon?

The short answer to that question is, why not? If watermelon offers numerous benefits to us, then why can’t we feed them to our canine friends? Don’t we want our dogs also to stay healthy and free from health issues?

It is excellent for our dogs to eat watermelons as they immensely benefit from the significant health advantages it presents. However, you need to remember that the secret lies in serving watermelon to dogs in moderation. Dogs need constant body hydration, thanks to their hyperactive lifestyle. And, watermelon offers this pretty well.

Also, watermelon contains some essential minerals and vitamins which tend to sort out many health issues. Just like us, dogs also have health issues such as kidney problems, cancer, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and others. Eating watermelon will keep them fit and sound too.

Serving dogs pieces of watermelon during the hot summer days will be helpful as this will them keep their body temperature calm.

 

How To Safely Feed Your Dog With Watermelon

It is good to assist your dog to enjoy the health benefits of watermelon so she can be fit too. But there some caution to observe.

Moderation Is Key – First and foremost, don’t turn the watermelon into the full menu for your dog. The excess ration of watermelon can cause loose stool. And if you continue, it can lead to diarrhea. This is essential because watermelon has a high percentage of water and it contains a reasonable amount of sugar.

The Black Seed Is A Death Trap – Before serving your dog with watermelon, remove all the black seeds. Dogs cannot chew the individual seeds. If dogs ingest such seeds whole, it can cause some abdominal problems. Your dog can develop stomach cramps, abdominal pain, indigestion, and stomach rumbling. Also, the indigested seed can cause blockage of the alimentary canal, stomach, and the anus.

Avoid The Rinds – It is important not to serve your dog with watermelon rinds. The rinds contain some amount of minerals, vitamins and valuable compounds. However, there is no supportive evidence as to whether the digestive system of the dogs can adequately handle the hard rinds.

Watermelon rinds are hard, and as such, your dog may not be able to chew it into smaller chunks her digestive system can handle. This also can lead to constipation, indigestion, or blockage of the digestive system.

The Flavor Could Work Against The Dog – Usually, many dogs enjoy the taste of watermelon because of its delicate sweet flavor. As a result, the dog could develop a mental attachment to watermelon and avoid her regular diet.

 

What About Serving Watermelon To Your Puppies?

There is no harm in serving watermelon to your puppies. However, remember you still have to make moderation your caution word. Serving watermelon to puppies is safe, but you should endeavor to pulp the watermelon.

Better still, serve your puppies with a small quantity of watermelon juice extracted using your juicer. Remember that this depends on the age of your puppies.

 

Conclusion

Giving a moderated amount of watermelon to your dog is safe. However, it is proper to observe the necessary precautions highlighted above. Remember that watermelon seeds and the rind are not safe for your adorable canine partner.

Also, if your dog shows signs of loose stool or diarrhea, stop feeding the fruit to it with immediate effect. This is because the dog may have developed an adverse reaction to watermelon.

 

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