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- Can dogs eat watermelon? What is the nutritional composition?
- Can dogs eat watermelon? True or false?
- Dogs can eat watermelon, but how much?
- Can a dog eat grapes? And avocado?
Good nutrition is essential for the physical, cognitive and social development of all puppies. Regardless of its breed and gender, a dog needs to receive a complete and balanced diet that completely meets the nutritional needs of age.
Fortunately, more and more tutors are encouraged to go beyond industrialized food and decide to offer a more natural and varied diet to their best friends. During this dietary transition, there are many questions that come to your mind and many of them are related to which fruits the dog can eat and which are the most beneficial, for example, "can dogs eat bananas?", "can dogs eat strawberries?, "can dogs eat watermelon and melon?". These are some of the many questions you may have before deciding to offer a healthier diet to your pet.
In this PeritoAnimal article, we will share useful information to help you provide balanced nutrition and the best care to your most faithful companion. In this article we will explain more about one of the most delicious and popular fruits in Brazil, the watermelon. You will understand if your dog can eat watermelon and what are the benefits and precautions of including this fruit in your puppy's diet.
Can dogs eat watermelon? What is the nutritional composition?
Before answering whether your dog can eat watermelon, it is essential that you know the nutritional composition of this delicious fruit. If you know the nutrients present in watermelon, it is much easier to understand the benefits of introducing it in your dog's diet and the precautions to avoid adverse effects. Also, knowing food helps create more awareness about our own nutrition.
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) database[1], 100g of fresh watermelon have the following nutritional composition:
- Total Energy/Calories: 30 kcal;
- Proteins: 0.61g;
- Total fats: 0.15g;
- Carbohydrates: 7.55g;
- Fibers: 0.5g;
- Sugars: 6.2g;
- Water: 91.45g;
- Calcium: 7mg;
- Iron: 0.24mg;
- Phosphorus: 11mg;
- Magnesium: 10mg;
- Manganese: 0.04mg;
- Potassium: 112mg;
- Sodium: 1mg;
- Zinc: 0.1mg;
- Vitamin A: 28µg;
- β-carotene: 303 µg;
- Vitamin B1: 0.033 mg;
- Vitamin B2: 0.021 mg;
- Vitamin B3: 0.18mg;
- Vitamin B5: 0.22mg;
- Vitamin B6: 0.05mg;
- Vitamin C: 8.1mg.
As you can see in the nutrition information above, the watermelon isrich in vitamin C, a powerful natural antioxidant that fights the action of free radicals and cell damage. In addition, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is also essential for strengthening the immune system, helping to prevent the most frequent diseases in dogs. Therefore, the consumption of watermelon for puppy dogs can be very positive, as they are in full growth phase and natural defenses are still forming.
In addition, watermelon is one of the richest fruits in water, helping to keep the body well hydrated and preventing damage and pathologies associated with insufficient fluid consumption, such as kidney problems. The water contained in fruits such as watermelon and melon has a diuretic and depurative effect on the dog's body, helping to eliminate toxins and keep the metabolism stable.
The combination of the high percentage of water with natural antioxidants such as vitamin C and carotenoids makes watermelon an excellent one too. ally of health and aesthetics of skin and fur, preventing the symptoms of aging and dehydration.
Lastly and equally importantly, the watermelon provides fiber to the body, aiding digestion and preventing digestive problems such as constipation in dogs.
Can dogs eat watermelon? True or false?
If you ask yourself whether a shih tzu dog can eat watermelon or whether this fruit is suitable for dogs of other breeds and mutts, the answer is: Yes. Fiber, vitamins, natural antioxidants and the cleansing effect of this fruit can have a very positive impact on your pet's body. However, the introduction of this fruit in the diet must always follow the necessary precautions to ensure consumption that is beneficial to your health.
To provide your dog with a complete and balanced diet, you must always remember that dogs need to consume a healthy dose of protein daily. Although dogs are omnivores and have developed the ability to digest some foods that their wolf ancestors cannot digest, meat remains the most suitable source of protein.
That is why, It is not appropriate to base a dog's diet on fruit only., vegetables and proteins of vegetable origin. Therefore, even though watermelon is one of the fruits that a dog can eat, it should not be the center or pillar of nutrition, as this would lead to nutritional deficits that weaken the dog's immune system, making it more vulnerable to all kinds of illnesses.
In addition, watermelon and all fruits are rich in a type of natural sugar called fructose that is metabolized in the body to glucose molecules. Excessive consumption of sugars can lead to rapid weight gain, favoring canine obesity and symptoms of related diseases such as diabetes. On the other hand, excessive fiber consumption can also cause digestive problems such as gas and diarrhea in dogs.
To ensure safe and beneficial consumption, consult a veterinarian before adding watermelon or any new food to your puppy's diet. This professional is properly trained to help you determine the most appropriate amount and frequency of consumption according to the size, age, weight and health status of your puppy.
Dogs can eat watermelon, but how much?
Now that you know that watermelon is one of the fruits that a dog can eat, to offer your pet you should take out the seeds and husk, including much of the white meat that is more difficult to digest than ripe reddish colored fruit. If this is the first time your dog has tasted watermelon, the ideal is to offer only a small piece and observe it for 12 hours after ingestion, to see if this fruit causes any adverse reaction in the digestive process, such as gas or diarrhea.
The amount of watermelon a dog can consume will depend on size, weight and health. But generally, it is recommended give only between 3 and 5 pieces of watermelon to an adult dog, always after making sure that this fruit does not cause digestive problems. But, if you choose to mix it with other fruits, the ideal is to reduce this amount, to prevent your dog from consuming too much sugar at once.
A great way to incorporate watermelon into your puppy's nutrition is to use it as a positive reinforcement in your education. That is, every time your dog performs a positive behavior or reproduces a command of canine obedience, you can offer a piece of watermelon to reward him and encourage him to continue learning.
Check out our YouTube channel's video below about 8 dog fruits, the benefits and doses:
Can a dog eat grapes? And avocado?
As fruits are very beneficial foods for human health, the tendency is to think that their consumption will also have a positive impact on the health of dogs. However, it is essential to remember that there are fruits and vegetables prohibited for dogs, which can cause various damages to the body, from digestive problems, such as vomiting and gas, to intoxication.
Many tutors wonder if your dog can eat avocado and grapes, for example. Although these foods have many beneficial properties for human health, they are very dangerous for the body of dogs. So, again, we emphasize the importance of consulting a veterinarian before adding any new foods or deciding to change the type of diet you offer your best friend.
If you are unsure whether dogs can eat eggs, check out this article by PeritoAnimal.