Can Dogs Eat Honeydew Melon? Ingredients, Benefits, Safe and Tips

Honeydew melons, a.k.a. “Temptation melons,” may indeed be a temptation for humans and dogs both. Not only does this high-water fruit look yummy and refreshing with green and white flesh, but it is also a great addition to salads. Honeydew melons also make great fruit shakes during hot summer days.

If you love honeydew melons yourself, as you eat it, you’ve probably seen your dog look all tempted by the “temptation melon.” You held yourself back from giving it as a responsible pet owner, as you’re not sure if it’s safe for your pooch or not.

Fortunately, you can give into the temptation of giving honeydew melons to your dog. The rest of this post will discuss the best ways to share it with your pooch!

Excellent Honeydew Melon Ingredients

Here are four of the most beneficial ingredients of honeydew melons:

• Vitamin B6

Regular intake of Vitamin B6 can enhance your pooch’s physical and mental health. It also helps the body maintain a good balance of sodium and potassium.

The recommended daily amount of Vitamin B6 for dogs is 1mg per kg of body weight. The level of warning when it exceeds 200 mg per kg per day. Honeydew melons, fortunately, do not have that much B6 in them.

• Vitamin C

Vitamin C in dogs can help to maintain good health just like in humans. Honeydew melons are filled with lots of vitamin C. In addition to vitamin C supplements, it is highly recommended to add honeydew melons to your dog’s diet from time to time, especially if it is very active.

• Potassium

Honeydew melons contain a high content of potassium. It contains approximately 400 mg of potassium — a good enough banana substitute. Having enough potassium ensures the proper functioning of your dog’s muscles and nerves.

Low potassium levels in dogs lead to exhaustion and weakness. She’s also more prone to palpitations, abdominal cramping, and constipation. This condition is known as hypokalemia.

The opposite, of course, is also bad (hyperkalemia, or too much potassium). Some symptoms are similar to potassium deficiency symptoms. When you feed honeydew melons, you don’t have to worry about causing potassium imbalances unless your dog has kidney problems.

• Fiber

Honeydew melons contain about 1 g per 130 g of fiber. Having a regular source of fiber can help improve or maintain the health of your dog’s colon. It’s also a flavorful way to manage her weight.

Honeydew Melon Benefits for Dogs

You’re likely to love honeydew melons ‘ sweet taste and juicy texture when they’re ripe. Probably your pooch wants you to share it with them. Now that you know it’s safe for canines, when she snatches it out of your bowl when you are not looking, you don’t have to panic anymore.

Taste is not the only thing that’s good about honeydew melons. Listed below are some other reasons why your pooch should enjoy it as much as you do:

1. Tasty Hydration

Honeydew melon consists of up to 90% water so it can be a good hydration supplement. After a vigorous exercise session, your dog may love water, but having as fruit is exciting. Giving honeydew melon treats is a delicious and nutritious way to avoid dehydration of your pooch.

2. Relief for Constipation

As mentioned above, honeydew melons have good fiber content. Fiber is known to make digestive processes smooth and convenient. Hence, giving more fiber to your pooch via treats is especially helpful when your dog is dealing with constipation.

Fiber deficiency is one of the main reasons for constipation in dogs. Honeydew melons have enough fiber to stimulate their digestive system if you have noticed that your pooch is having a hard time defecating. Usually, a few cubes a day are sufficient to see improvements.

3. Skin and Coat Maintenance

In addition to boosting the immune system of your pooch, the Vitamin C in honeydew melons also boosts the production of collagen. This keeps the skin of your dog healthy. It also improves the coat condition of your dog, making it shiny and smooth to the touch.

4. Bone and Teeth Health

Enhanced collagen production is also beneficial for strengthening your dog’s bone and teeth. The calcium content of honeydew melons also helps with that.

5. Healthy Vision

Honeydew melon also has good amounts of vitamin A. Just as vitamin A is recommended for people to maintain good vision, there is also a need for a proper diet to ensure dogs have healthy eyes. Honeydew melons are an excellent way to ensure that your pooch gets Vitamin A that is enough.

Honeydew Melon Serving Suggestions

The best way to give your pooch honeydew melons is as an occasional treat. Because the flesh of the fruit is firm, it’s easy to turn it into a treat using a melon baller.

If you’re thinking of switching up your dog’s after-walk or after-meal treats, honeydew melon is a good fruit to put into the mix.

Is It Safe for Overweight Pets?

Yes. Honeydew melon, as mentioned earlier, can be a good weight management aid. A cup of this diced fruit contains only 61 calories, so it’s a low-calorie treat that can help manage its intake of food. It also has a very low fat quality.

During meal times, you may replace a portion of your dog’s kibble or wet dog food with honeydew melon. Its fiber-rich content helps your pooch feel fuller, thereby minimizing her desires to eat more.

Feeding Frequency

Like everything else, it is necessary to feed honeydew melons in moderation. It should be enough to have a few pieces per day, or it could be one of those few special treats in a week. The key is to make sure there are no adverse reactions to your pooch.

The amount that you can give will generally depend on the size of your pooch. Small dogs should only be fed two small pieces at most, while big dogs can have up to five.

If this is your first time attempt giving honeydew melons to your dog, limit your serving to two pieces, just to see how well she’s responding to it. As with anything else, the new food should be introduced to dogs gradually.

Safety Precautions

Although there is no doubt that honeydew melon is nutritious, it also has a high content of sugar. As you may have read in our previous posts, excessive sugar for dogs is definitely not good. If she has diabetes, you certainly shouldn’t give it.

Additionally, while fiber is generally a good thing for digestion and for weight loss, too much of it is also bad. Your dog’s stomach may have a hard time handling too much of it at one time.

If you notice a change in the potty behavior of your dog, you may need to reduce the amount of honeydew melons you are giving it. Its high water content may also lead to diarrhea, or worse, softstools. This will not only be a challenge for you to clean up, but it will also be difficult for your dog.

Edible Parts

The flesh is the only thing that you can give to your dog. You must remove the seeds and the rinds to prevent any health issues.

Honeydew melon seeds contain cyanide, which can block the intestinal tract of your pooch. The rind is indigestible, on the other hand. While dogs would gladly devour them when lying around, it can cause a huge upset in the stomach.

Is Honeydew Melon Safe for Puppies?

You may have puppies at home who are curious about what you’re giving to their adult counterparts. Being puppies, they can’t help but also dip their noses into what the big dogs are having!

Luckily, they can join the honeydew fun, but only if they eat solid foods already. Keep in mind that puppies typically have sensitive stomachs compared to adult dogs, so make sure you’re just giving one small piece as a treat. Before you add more, let their systems get used to it.

Determining the Freshness

We’ve regarded honeydew melons as a tasty treat, but funnily enough, a lot of people hate it because they claim that it’s tasteless. The thing is, they’re just unlucky because they got to eat the unripe ones.

You should go for the ripe ones if you want to experience the real, tasty honeydew melon. To see if a honeydew melon is ripe or unripe, look at its outer skin. Unripe ones have green skin, while the ripe ones have a creamy yellow or golden skin.

Ripe honeydews also feel a bit soft to the touch. Another way of checking its ripeness is to press its bottom. Upon pressing, it must be a bit springy.

You can also tell from the smell of honeydews if it’s already ripe. If you want the juicy ones, look for the one with a sweet and musky smell.

Tips for Preparing Honeydew Melons

Aside from giving honeydews as a treat, or as an added ingredient to their dog food, you can also feed it in two other fun ways, including:

Frozen Honeydew Melons

For some reason, dogs really love frozen things. Notice how they love to play with ice cubes? You can also do the same for honeydew melons.

You can create either frozen melon balls or frozen melon cubes. Sometimes you can mix it up and see which shape is better for your pooch. They taste the same technically, but sometimes the appearance of food still matters!

Honeydew Smoothie

Smoothies are great for humans, but they’re also great for dogs. Honeydew melons are especially a good choice for making smoothies. Below is a basic smoothie recipe.

While honeydew alone is a good enough ingredient, you may choose to add other fruits to make it more nutrition-packed, as long as you are sure of your dog’s safety.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cubed honeydew melon
• 2 tbsp. fruit juice (optional)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• Ice (optional)

Instructions:

1. Put cubed honeydew melon and yogurt in a blender.
2. Add fruit juice (optional).
3. Blend everything until its consistency turns smooth.
4. If the ingredients are not cold, you may choose to add ice to the mix. Otherwise, this part may be skipped.
5. Put the mixture in your pooch’s food bowl.

Especially during hot summer days, this is a great dessert. Aside from making sure that you ‘re only using safe fruits in this smoothie, also take note of the yogurt you’ll be using. Go for the plain one with no added sweeteners. Also, make sure it has no xylitol, as it is toxic to dogs.

Substitute for Honeydew Melons

Where you are, Honeydew melons may not be available. In that case, what other fruits that have similar nutritional benefits can you give to your pooch?

• Bananas: These have Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and magnesium. Giving a few slices usually makes for a good treat.
• Watermelons: They have a high water content, like honeydew melons, and are also rich in antioxidants. Before feeding, you must also remove the seeds and rinds.
• Apples: These have Vitamins A and C, and they also boost your pooch’s oral health. The skin is safe for dogs, but the core and the seeds should be removed.
• Oranges: These are high in Vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. Two small segments should be enough, as long as they’re seedless and peeled.
• Blueberries: They have vitamin C, fiber and phytochemicals. They also have high amounts of antioxidants that can help maintain the immunity of your pooch.

Whatever fruit you choose to give to your dog, always stay within the recommended servings of your veterinarian. You want to make it enjoyable without causing any problems with the stomach.

Conclusion: Honeydew Melons Make a Tasty Treat!

Honeydew melons are one of the best fruits you can give as a treat to your pooch. It has a number of vitamins and nutrients that can help your pet to hydrate and smooth its digestion. If you’re thinking about giving the melon family fruits to your dogs, honeydew melons are a great starting point.

Make sure you go for the ripe ones to give something delicious and enjoyable. Just give honeydews in moderation, like everything else, to avoid stomach upsets.