Watermelon for Dogs: A Complete Guide
The watermelon has had a long evolutionary journey, but we have the Ancient Egyptians 4,000 years ago to thank for today’s sweeter, redder watermelon that we and our dogs enjoy so much during our increasingly warmer summers.
While we’ll never know when dogs first tasted watermelons, we know that our two species have shared the same diet since the first domestic dog came in from the wild something like 35,000 years ago. Whether or not early domesticated dogs enjoyed the more bitter, pre-Egyptian watermelon is anyone’s guess, but there’s no doubt the sweeter version is a popular favourite with dogs today.
Can dogs eat watermelon?
Yes, dogs can eat watermelon says our in-house dog nutritionist. It makes a wonderfully refreshing, hydrating treat that most dogs simply can’t get enough of.
Health benefits of watermelon for dogs
Watermelon is a highly nutritious, low-calorie fruit that provides exceptional hydration and essential vitamins for dogs.
Because it is made of roughly 92% water, it serves as an excellent summer snack to prevent dehydration. However, you must remove the rind, and it is recommended the seeds before serving as they could cause intestinal blockages.
Key health benefits of watermelon for dogs include:
- Excellent hydration: the high water content helps flush the kidneys and helps regulate your dog’s core body temperature on hot days without adding excess calories.
- Rich in lycopene: this powerful antioxidant gives the fruit its pink colour. It helps neutralise free radicals, support cellular health and promote long-term cancer prevention.
- Immune-boosting vitamin C: while dogs product their own vitamin C, the vitamin C in watermelon further helps support your dog’s immune system, reduce systemic inflammation and aids in cellular repair and cognitive health.
- Improves vision: the vitamin A in watermelon helps maintain optimal eye health and supports a healthy, shiny coat and skin.
- Blood pressure regulation (vitamin B6 & potassium): vitamin B6 assists with healthy red blood cell function and glucose regulation, while potassium supports muscle, nerve and heart function.
- Weight-friendly snack: containing only about 30 calories per cup, watermelon satisfies a dog’s desire for a sweet treat without contributing to canine obesity.
How much watermelon can dogs eat?
Feeding dogs watermelon is not complicated, and dogs have a far greater understanding of what is and what is not safe to eat than many people imagine. Remember, dogs were eating fresh food long before even human beings were on our planet!
- The hard green skin of a watermelon is completely indigestible for dogs. Most dogs understand this. Chunks of rind can theoretically become lodged in the stomach or intestines requiring emergency surgery. Always remove the rind before feeding water melon to your dog.
- Both black seeds and white seed husks should be removed, particularly if you have a small breed dog. The odd seed or two will not harm your dog, but a build-up of seeds could cause a physical blockage in the digestive tract of small breeds.
- While natural, watermelon does contain fruit sugars. If your dog is diabetic or overweight, speak to your vet or contact a dog nutritionist before feeding watermelon to your dog.
Purely as a general guide:
Small dogs: 1 to 2 small, one-inch cubes.
Medium dogs: 3 to 4 one-inch cubes.
Large dogs: 5 to 6 one-inch cubes.
Search Watermelon recipes:
Other dog-safe fruits
- Blueberries: antioxidant powerhouse.
- Apples: clean teeth & freshen breath.
- Bananas: boost energy.
- Watermelon: excellent hydration (92% water).
- Strawberries: help whiten teeth.
- Pumpkin: aids digestion.
- Mango: packed with beneficial nutrients.
See the full range of dog-safe fruits here.
The Dog Chef Guide to Homemade Dog Food
Looking to supercharge your dog's diet with fresh food?
How to feed a dog watermelon
Watermelon is a refreshing, low-calorie fruit that can be transformed into fantastic cooling snacks for your dog as are mindful of the seeds and remove the green rind. I regularly add the seeds to the food of my own large dogs, but they may present a choking hazard to smaller dogs.
Because it is 92% water, watermelon freezes beautifully, making it the ultimate ingredient for soothing hot-weather treats, mental enrichment puzzles or hydrating food toppers.
Here are four creative, dog-safe ways to serve watermelon to your pup:
1. Two-Ingredient Frozen Pupsicles
This is the ultimate summer treat to keep your dog cool. Blending the watermelon with yogurt adds healthy probiotics and creates a creamy, ice-cream-like texture.
Blend 200g (2 cups) of seedless watermelon chunks with 2 tablespoons of plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt until completely smooth.
Pour the mixture into a silicone mould and freeze for 3 to 4 hours. Pop them out as a refreshing, low-calorie snack in the heat of the day.
2. Electrolyte Bone Broth Ice Cubes
If your dog prefers savoury snacks over creamy ones, blending watermelon with homemade bone broth creates a powerful, hydrating electrolyte boost.
- Puree seedless watermelon chunks in a blender. Fill an ice cube tray halfway with the fruit puree, then top off the remaining half with cool, dog-safe bone broth.
- Freeze solid. Drop a cube directly into your dog’s water bowl to encourage it to drink more on hot days, or use them as a crunchy, hydrating food topper.
3. Freezer Bomb Enrichment Bowl
Instead of using a traditional rubber toy, turn your dog’s regular metal or ceramic food bowl into a long-lasting, brain-working summer puzzle.
- Place a few chunks of fresh, seedless watermelon and a scattering of blueberries into the bottom of a clean dog bowl.
- Pour a shallow layer of water or coconut water over the fruit (just enough to partially submerge it) and freeze the entire bowl for 2 hours. Your dog will have to carefully lick the ice to release the fruit, keeping it mentally stimulated and quiet for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Whipped Watermelon Puppuccino
You can recreate the popular coffee-shop dog treat at home using healthy, whole-food ingredients that won’t upset your dog’s stomach.
- Finely mash a small handful of seedless watermelon until it turns into a chunky juice.
- Put the juice at the bottom of a small ramekin or espresso cup. Top it with a generous dollop of pure, unsweetened whipped coconut cream (or goat’s milk kefir). Garnish with a tiny piece of fresh mint or a fresh watermelon cube, and let your dog lap it up.
Dog Chef Tip: Don’t neglect to feed your dog that white layer just beneath the skin. Forget pink, that white/pale green layer, the rind, is actually more nutritious than the pink flesh that most of us choose to eat. It is packed with significantly higher concentrations of L-citrulline (an amino acid that boosts blood flow and circulation) and more fibre to aid digestion. Meanwhile, the pink flesh is rich in vitamins and the antioxidant lycopene.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Can dogs eat watermelon seeds?
A. While the standard answer is that you should remove the seeds before feeding watermelon to your dog, the fact is that a small number of seeds is not going to cause harm to the average dog. A couple of accidentally swallowed seeds will pass through a large dog without issue, a collection of hard seeds could theoretically cause a physical intestinal blockage in small breeds. White “seedless” watermelon variations are much safer, but you should still scan the flesh for any stray hard seeds.
Q. Is watermelon rind safe for dogs to chew on?
A. No, watermelon rinds are highly dangerous. While dogs often love the firm texture, the green skin is completely indigestible. If swallowed, chunks of rind can easily become lodged in your dog’s stomach or intestines, causing a life-threatening bowel obstruction that requires emergency surgery.
Q. Can watermelon cause diarrhoea in dogs?
A. Dogs have been eating watermelon for thousands of years. Yes, if they eat too much of it it can cause minor digestive upset, but any issue such as diarrhoea is likely to be temporary at best.
Q. Can diabetic dogs eat watermelon?
A. Only in moderation, with your vet’s approval. While watermelon is packed with healthy vitamins and minerals, it has a high glycaemic index because its natural sugars enter the bloodstream quickly. For dogs managing diabetes or canine obesity, the sudden sugar spike can be problematic.
Q. Is it safe to feed dogs shop-bought watermelon juice?
A. Generally, no. Most commercial watermelon juices contain added white sugars, artificial flavourings and chemical preservatives. More critically, some diet versions use xylitol (birch sugar) as a sweetener, which is highly toxic and fatal to dogs. If you want to use juice, blend fresh, seedless watermelon chunks at home instead. Much safer, much more natural!
Q. How much watermelon can my dog have every day?
A. Keep watermelon under 10% of your dog’s daily calorie intake.
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