Can pets eat watermelon and melon?
Watermelon and melon
Fine in small amounts
Dogs: Safe · Cats: Safe · Rabbits: In moderation · Birds: Safe
By animal
| Animal | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs | Safe | Flesh is safe and mostly water. Remove seeds and rind. |
| Cats | Safe | Safe, seeds and rind removed. |
| Rabbits | In moderation | Very sugary. A small cube occasionally. |
| Birds | Safe | Popular and well tolerated. |
What it actually does
The flesh is around 92 per cent water and contains nothing harmful. The rind is tough enough to cause a blockage and the seeds, in quantity, can do the same in a small animal. Neither is toxic — both are mechanical hazards, which is a different problem with a different response.
No reliable dose threshold has been published for this. Anything presenting a specific safe amount is extrapolating.
Body weight decides almost everything here, so what is trivial for a 40 kg dog can matter for a 4 kg one, and a bird is smaller again. Where a real published threshold exists this page gives it; where none does, it says so rather than inventing one.
Fruit
| Food | Worst verdict | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants | Toxic | Toxic | Toxic |
| Avocado | Toxic | Risky | Risky |
| Apple | In moderation | Safe | Safe |
| Banana | In moderation | In moderation | In moderation |
| Blueberries and strawberries | In moderation | Safe | Safe |
| Cherries, peaches, plums and apricots | Risky | Risky | Risky |
| Oranges, lemons and limes | Risky | In moderation | Risky |
| Coconut and coconut oil | In moderation | In moderation | In moderation |
Common questions
- Can dogs eat watermelon and melon?
- Safe. Flesh is safe and mostly water. Remove seeds and rind.
- Can cats eat watermelon and melon?
- Safe. Safe, seeds and rind removed.
- What does watermelon and melon actually do?
- The flesh is around 92 per cent water and contains nothing harmful. The rind is tough enough to cause a blockage and the seeds, in quantity, can do the same in a small animal. Neither is toxic — both are mechanical hazards, which is a different problem with a different response.
Related pages
- Can pets eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants? Toxic — treat as an emergency
- Can pets eat avocado? Toxic — treat as an emergency
- Can pets eat apple? Fine in small amounts
- Can pets eat banana? Fine in small amounts
- Can pets eat blueberries and strawberries? Fine in small amounts
- Can pets eat cherries, peaches, plums and apricots? Risky — depends on amount or preparation
- Can pets eat chocolate? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives? Also an emergency
- Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar? Also an emergency
- Everything, for dogs 46 foods
- Everything, for cats 46 foods