Summertime and watermelon go perfectly together. But is watermelon safe for your French Bulldog? We have three kids and they loved fresh-cut watermelon on a hot Summer day. The first year we had our French Bulldog puppy one of the kids asked if was safe for our beloved Frenchie to eat Watermelon. I researched it and here’s what I discovered.
So, Can My French Bulldog Eat Watermelon?
Yes, French Bulldogs can eat watermelon in moderation as long as you remove the seeds and rinds. Watermelon is safe for them to eat and they will enjoy the treat. The key is to prepare the watermelon for your French Bulldog properly and I have 4 possible solutions on how to do that below.
Reasons Why Watermelon Is a Healthy Treat For Your Dog
Watermelon has plenty of great vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial for your Frenchie’s overall health. As a bonus, Watermelon is almost 92% water which makes it a great treat on a hot Summer day! My Frenchie is notorious for not drinking enough on hot days so watermelon treats are a great way to keep him hydrated.
Watermelon is packed with nutrients that are healthy for your French Bulldog such as vitamins A, B6, and C. It also contains lots of potassium. Watermelon is also high in fiber, which is good for digestion for your doggo.
Watermelon does contain some sugar which is generally not great for dogs but the fiber content in watermelon prevents it from being dumped into your dog’s bloodstream too quickly. Another thing to note is that watermelon also is a great source of an antioxidant called lycopene which has cancer-fighting properties.
Finally watermelon is very low in calories, is very hydrating, is low in sodium, has no fat at all, and is cholesterol free. This completely all-natural treat is a healthy treat for your Frenchie!
How Much Watermelon Is Safe To Feed My French Bulldog?
Just one cup of chopped, seedless and rindless watermelon can benefit your French Bulldog. Watermelon can be a good occasional treat for your French Bulldog but it isn’t something that needs to be in your dog’s diet all of the time. Watermelon should be given to your Frenchie sparingly.
The fruit of the watermelon is just fine, it is the seeds you really need to be weary of. Failure to remove the watermelon seeds can cause a blockage for your French Bulldog. Failure to remove the green rind of the watermelon may result in gastrointestinal issues such as such as diarrhea, gas and other unpleasantness.
The Parts of Watermelon That Are Dangerous For Your Frenchie
Watermelon seeds can pose a problem for your French Bulldog if they eat too many of them. Now, just one or two seeds might not make much of a difference, but if your Frenchie eats too many watermelon seeds it may lead to a digestive track blockage. Smaller dogs like French Bulldog are especially at risk for a blockage so definitely don’t take the chance of letting them eat any seeds.
The rinds are also not safe for your French Bulldog to eat either. If your French Bulldog is anything like mine, they may eat a little too quickly and fully chew their food. If your French Bulldog got ahold of it they may swallow the rind without completely chewing it, which could result in intestinal blockage and you don’t want to have to deal with that.
Your French Bulldog should not be allowed to eat the skin of the watermelon as it is very difficult to digest too. This could cause blockage too, so don’t let them have any.
What Happens If My French Bulldog Ate Parts of The Watermelon They Shouldn’t Have Eaten?
There has been many a Summer cookout with lots of people at the party and accidents happen. Sometimes humans drop things. Perhaps they even dropped a full watermelon slice and your Frenchie pounces on it and devours the entire thing.
If your Frenchies does eat the seeds and/or rind of a watermelon you will want to keep an eye out for signs of intestinal blockage. This might include constipation, vomiting, lethargy, and even abdominal pain. Call your dog’s veterinarian right away and they will likely want to get him seen right away to avoid serious complications.
If your French Bulldog happens to eat pieces of watermelon it should not have, you will want to be on the lookout for signs of intestinal blockage for at least a full day after.
4 Ways To Prepare Watermelon For Your French Bulldog
Just like any dog food treat, watermelon should be fed in moderation. No need to feed it to them all the time but it can make a nice treat for your Frenchie.
Here are some safe ways to feed your French Bulldog watermelon:
1. Watermelon Chunks
When I prepare watermelon for our three children it is pretty straight forward – I simple slice the watermelon and they gobble it right up. Preparing it for my French Bulldog just requires a couple more steps. I simply slice up the watermelon but then I also remove the watermelon rinds and the black watermelon seeds (if the watermelon you bought has seeds. They grow some watermelon these days that have seeds genetically bred out of them).
Once I have the watermelon 🍉 chunked up with rinds and seeds removed I will either put it into my Frenchie’s dog dish or make him perform tricks (shake hand, lay down, round up etc) to earn his watermelon chunks. This is a personal favorite of mine!
2. Frozen Watermelon Chunks
Another great way to feed your French Bulldog some delicious watermelon is in the form of this frozen treat. It’s super simple to make and great to feed them on a hot Summer day. As a bonus it can help cool them down too!
Here’s how to make these great frozen watermelon chunks.
1. Cut up your watermelon
2. Be sure to remove the watermelon seeds and rinds
3. Put the watermelon in a glass container like this one then freeze it.
4. Take the frozen watermelon chunks out out on a hot summer day and treat your Frenchie to this cool treat.
3. Watermelon Puree Frozen Treats
If you really want to get fancy with your frozen watermelon treats, after removing the rinds and seeds, then take an additional step to Puree the fresh watermelon, and then freeze it in an ice cube tray.
You get bonus points if you use an ice cube tray like this one. 🙂
4. Watermelon Ice Cream Treat
One final idea is to take your frozen watermelon chunks and toss them in your blender with plain, unsweetened yogurt.
Once it is blended, you will have a healthy watermelon ice cream to treat your French Bulldog with. Once it is finished, your can either put some on top of their normal kibble as a treat, stuff the watermelon ice cream mixture into your dog’s Kong, or even put the watermelon ice cream mixture into an Ice Cube tray to turn into frozen treats for later.
Note: Just be sure to read the label of the unsweetened yogurt carefully to ensure it does not contain any Xylitol. Xylitol is toxic to dogs so definitely want to ensure there is none in the yogurt you choose.
The Bottom Line on Can French Bulldogs Eat Watermelon?
In short, French Bulldogs can absolutely have Watermelon in small doses and provided you prepare it right (removing the rinds and seeds). Watermelon can be turned into a tasty treat your French Bulldog would love!
PS – If you are curious what other healthy treats you can feed your French Bulldog check this Kong stuffing guide out.
