It is a delicious treat, especially on a hot summer day.
For us.
But is it also a great treat for your pup?
Can Yorkies eat watermelon or is the sugar content simply too high?
Many fruits can be problems for pets for this very reason.
Keep reading to learn if watermelon is fine for your Yorkie, or if it is better to avoid this delicious treat.
Contents
Can Yorkies Eat Watermelon?
Yes, Yorkies can eat watermelon. It is a tasty fruit that your Yorkie will love to eat. But you need to limit how much you give your pup. Watermelon contains a lot of sugar.
Just like any other food, an excess of watermelon is unhealthy. But a small amount does have its benefits. Let’s take a look.
Watermelon Benefits
Watermelon contains many vitamins and nutrients and is one of the healthiest fruits you can find. In addition to being full of flavour, it’s brimming with vitamin C, vitamins B6, A, E, and also potassium.
Watermelon can also help to keep your Yorkie hydrated thanks to its high-water content. And it contains a high amount of fiber, making it a great fruit to aid digestion.
Precautions
There are a few precautions to take before feeding your Yorkie watermelon. First, they can’t eat the seeds or rind, so make sure you remove these before feeding any watermelon to your Yorkie.
If your Yorkie eats seeds or rind, it could suffer from problems like diarrhoea. So please, for your sake and your Yorkie’s, make sure you’re picking these seeds out.
It is also a good idea to chop the watermelon into bite-sized chunks for your Yorkie, so it is easier to chew and swallow. And you should only feed your Yorkie two to three small pieces per day. Any more than this can also cause digestion issues like sickness and diarrhoea.
Try not to let the watermelon take up more than 10% of your Yorkie’s calorie intake. The best thing would be to give your Yorkie watermelon as a snack on a hot afternoon, or as a way to cool it down and rehydrate.
Another precaution is to avoid giving any watermelon to Yorkie puppies. Your Yorkie should be at least 12 weeks old before you give it any of the fruit. This is because their intestines aren’t fully developed before that age, and eating a fruit like watermelon can cause digestion issues.
Ways To Feed Your Yorkie Watermelon
You can feed your Yorkie watermelon in a number of ways. The first way is in small chunks. Chop up the watermelon, taking care to pull out the seeds and pull off the rind. You can put this into your Yorkie’s bowl, and it can eat it when it chooses.
You can also the watermelon. I would recommend this method for any hot, summer days. You can freeze chunks in the freezer and give them to your Yorkie to help cool it down.
You can turn the watermelon into puree by mashing it. Your Yorkie will love how easy it is to eat pureed watermelon.
My favorite way to serve watermelon is to make it into ice cream. You can blend frozen watermelon chunks with natural and unsweetened yoghurt. This makes for another tasty treat on any hot days. For both you and your dog!
What Other Fruits Can Yorkies Have?
Fruits are a healthy snack to incorporate into your Yorkie’s diet. Luckily for you, there are plenty of fruits that they can sink their teeth into.
Apples are a great choice. They’re full of fiber and vitamins A and C. You’ll want to make them easy for your Yorkie to eat, by chopping the apple into small chunks and pulling out the seeds and core.
Other fruits your Yorkie will enjoy include bananas, pineapples, grapefruits, berries, mangoes, peaches, cantaloupes, and oranges. Just like with watermelons and apples, you should take out any seeds, before feeding the fruits to your Yorkie.
If you buy organic fruit for your Yorkie, you can also reduce the amount of pesticides and preservatives that can make your Yorkie sick. Wherever you buy the fruit, make sure you rinse any fruit well, before feeding it to your Yorkie.
Can Yorkies Have Watermelon: Final Thoughts
Yorkies can eat watermelons, but like so many other foods, moderation is key. Watermelon contains a lot of sugar. Too much of it can cause digestive problems in your pup, not to mention long-term issues like diabetes or obesity.
Limit the amount of watermelon you feed your pup to one or two small pieces per day, and it can be a great treat for your little Yorkie.
Zerda says
My rescue Yorkie is approx 10yrs old with a very sensitive tummy. We don’t have any history on her eating habits.
One day she’s sparkling and the next just lying around not eating.
At tuis stage I’m only feeding her boiled chicken and butternut with rice or just chicken.
It seems that she was fed foods from the table. Not sure if that’s a good thing. Apparently her previous owner was an old lady… Maybe that’s why she was not fed proper foods.
Do you have any advice as to how often and what we should feed her? She also has bad teeth. We will return to the Vet soon for a teeth and gum treatment but as pensioners we still have to budget for that.
Zerda