Can Dogs Eat Watermelon? Seedless Chunks, No Rind

If you are asking can dogs eat watermelon, a few plain seedless chunks are fine. Skip the rind and seeds, and keep the rest of the cookout plate on your plate.

We make freeze-dried treats in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and watermelon turns up at every summer show we work, usually in somebody's cooler. This page sorts the plain chunk from everything that gets served alongside it, then covers how much and how to start.

The plain chunk

Watermelon is a big green melon with pink or red flesh, a hard rind on the outside, and dark seeds scattered through the middle. To share it, cut the flesh away from the rind, pull out every seed you can see, and cut the flesh into pieces about the size of a bite. Seedless melons still have a few soft pale specks, which are seed coats, so pick out any dark seed that slipped through. Nothing gets added. No salt, no sauce, no sugar. Cold from the refrigerator is fine.

A few plain seedless chunks are fine. That is the whole answer for the fruit itself. Everything below is about what gets left on the melon or added to it.

Seeds and rind

The seeds come out first, and small dogs are the reason. The American Kennel Club writes: "Watermelon seeds can present a choking hazard, particularly for small dogs." Pull them from a seeded melon before you cut it, and look over a seedless one as you go.

The rind is the green and white outer layer. It is tough and it is slick with juice. The American Kennel Club adds: "The rind is also not recommended." Skip the rind and seeds every time, including the slice that is easiest to hand down from a picnic table.

Frozen chunks for a hot day

Frozen is the easiest way to serve it outside. The American Kennel Club writes: "Frozen chunks: Freeze seedless watermelon pieces for a cooling treat on a hot day." Spread the cut pieces on a tray so they do not freeze into one block, then bag them once they are hard. Cut them small to begin with, since they are firm when they come out of the freezer, and hand them over one at a time.

Our dog ice cream guide covers the rest of the frozen side of summer.

How much watermelon

Watermelon is a snack on the side, not a meal. A chunk or two for a small dog, a few for a big one, and then the rest goes back in the bowl. Cut the chunks to bite size so a small dog is not working on a piece bigger than its mouth wants.

It is also wet and sticky. Feed it outside, over a towel, or on a surface you can hose off.

Can dogs eat watermelon at a cookout

A plain chunk off the platter, yes. Most of the rest of a cookout table is not plain.

Fruit salad is where the trouble hides, because watermelon often sits next to grapes. The ASPCA lists grapes and raisins on its page of people foods to keep away from pets. If grapes are in the bowl, skip the whole bowl and pick a clean chunk from the platter instead. Berries are a separate question, and our strawberries guide answers it.

Watermelon flavored candy and sugar-free drinks are the other things to check. The ASPCA writes: "Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, including gum, candy, baked goods and toothpaste." Read the label, and if xylitol is on it, skip it. Spiked or salted watermelon stays on your plate.

The first time

Start with one plain seedless chunk, cut small, on a day when nothing else new is going on. Then wait a day before offering a second. Offer it away from the table so you can see exactly what your dog ate. If your dog is on a special diet, ask your veterinarian before you start.

If you want a summer treat that does not melt

Cut melon does not travel well. If you want something for the days away from the cutting board, we make Pup-Ornaut Freeze-Dried Dog Ice Cream in banana peanut butter. The ingredients are nonfat Greek yogurt and banana, plus peanut butter made with dry roasted peanuts and sea salt. We freeze-dry it in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania, so the pieces are light and crunchy rather than frozen, and they will not melt. The bag can ride in the car with you.

It contains peanuts and dairy, so it is not a single ingredient treat. It comes in one bag size. The label says to feed it as a treat or reward, to break it into smaller pieces for small dogs, and to supervise while snacking. Reseal the bag after opening and store it cool and dry.

For a plain meat option instead, our freeze-dried beef heart has one ingredient, beef heart. The texture is firm and it snaps into small pieces, milder than liver. It comes in 1.5 ounce, 3 ounce and 6 ounce bags.

Storing it

Cut watermelon goes in a covered container in the refrigerator, and the dog's pieces come out of that container, not off the picnic table. Past that it turns soft and watery, and it is not worth saving. Frozen chunks keep in a bag in the freezer. Pack them in a cooler for a day out and give them a few minutes to lose the frost.

Watermelon questions

Can puppies have watermelon?

Once a puppy is eating solid food, a plain seedless chunk cut small is handled like any new food. One piece, then wait a day. Skip the rind and seeds.

What about the seeds?

Take them out of a seeded melon before you cut it, and pick out any dark seed that shows up in a seedless one. The soft pale specks in a seedless melon are seed coats and stay put.

Is the rind okay?

No. Skip the rind. Cut the flesh away from it and give your dog only the flesh.

How much watermelon can a dog have?

A chunk or two for a small dog, a few for a big one. It is a snack, and anything past that stays on your plate.

Can dogs have frozen watermelon?

Yes, a few plain seedless frozen chunks are fine. Freeze the pieces on a tray, cut them small, and hand them over one at a time.

What about watermelon candy and drinks?

Check the label for xylitol and skip anything that lists it. Sugar-free candy and drink mixes are the usual places to find it. Plain watermelon needs no help.