The nutritional composition of watermelon
Watermelon is known as the "king of summer", refreshing and thirst-quenching, sweet and juicy, is a summer fruit, watermelon does not contain fat and cholesterol, but contains a lot of glucose, malic acid, fructose, protein amino acids, lycopene, and rich vitamin C and other substances.
In addition to water, watermelon also contains carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, ascorbic acid, as well as protein, sugar, crude fiber, inorganic salts, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other substances.
The sugar content of the flesh is generally 5-12%, including glucose, fructose, and sucrose. The sweetness increases with the increase of sucrose in late maturity, which is a kind of highly nutritious, pure, and safe food for consumption.

In the hot summer, there is nothing happier than eating watermelon in an air-conditioned room. But for the pet owners, eating melon at the same time, looking at their dog's hungry eyes, I'm afraid to mutter: dogs can not eat watermelon in the end?
The answer is yes. Known as the "king of summer fruits" watermelon is not only a good choice for people to quench their thirst, but also has many benefits for the health of dogs. The key is that watermelon contains a substance called lycopene, which can have unexpected benefits for dogs.

I. What are the benefits of watermelon for dogs?

What is lycopene?
Lycopene is widely found in tomatoes, tomato products, and fruits such as watermelon and grapefruit, and is the main pigment in ripe tomatoes and one of the common carotenoids. It is also a powerful antioxidant that protects against cell damage.
According to Mintel's Global New Products Database (GNPD), 418 new products containing lycopene were launched worldwide from 2003 to 2010. These products cover the food, supplement, and cosmetic sectors, with lycopene-containing supplements being the most popular products.

Protect your dog's skin from sunburn
Unexpected Benefits of Watermelon for Dogs
Although most of a dog's body surface is covered with fur, their skin is very sensitive and just 30 minutes of activity in the sun can lead to a sunburn. Therefore, there are many sunscreens and sun-protective clothing for dogs on the market. Compared to these topical sun protection measures, lycopene-rich foods are the first choice for natural pampering.
Biologically speaking, when UV rays hit the skin, lycopene in the skin binds to the free radicals generated by UV rays and protects the skin tissue from damage, reducing lycopene by 31% to 46% compared to skin that is not exposed to UV rays, while the content of other components remains almost unchanged. In one lycopene study, scientists fed participants lycopene-rich tomato products. after 10-12 weeks, they tested the participants' skin and the skin was less sensitive to sunburn. Another study of lycopene foods also showed that consuming lycopene-rich foods regularly can counteract UV and prevent erythema from UV exposure.
So, for dogs that like to exercise outdoors, adding some watermelon to your summer food list will not only hydrate your dog but also improve your dog's sun protection index.

Control blood pressure
Unexpected benefits of watermelon for dogs
High blood pressure is also a big problem for pet owners. This is because it is difficult to assess what it is like to have a dog with high blood pressure. However, most dogs with high blood pressure have secondary hypertension as opposed to primary hypertension, which is rarely seen in dogs. Simply put, this type of hypertension may often develop one or more observable signs, such as acute episodes of blindness, bleeding eyes, dilated pupils, and other symptoms. This type of hypertension may also be a side effect of Cushing's disease, endocrine disease, obesity, kidney disease, etc.
If your dog suffers from high blood pressure, foods rich in lycopene may be helpful. This is because lycopene has a positive effect on systolic blood pressure. A trial published in the American Heart Journal reported that patients with high blood pressure were given a placebo for 4 weeks, followed by capsules high in lycopene for 8 weeks, and then switched to a placebo for the last 4 weeks. The results showed that by the 6th week of taking the high lycopene capsules, the patients' blood pressure was reduced to normal levels.

Lower cholesterol
Unexpected Benefits of Watermelon for Dogs
Cholesterol is further divided into two types: high-density cholesterol and low-density cholesterol. The former has a protective cardiovascular effect and is often called "good cholesterol"; the latter is high and increases the risk of coronary heart disease and is often called "bad cholesterol".
A study at the University of Adelaide in Australia found that lycopene helps to reduce the level of "bad cholesterol" in the blood, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease. The effect is comparable to that of statins. Researchers say lycopene is the equivalent of a low-dose drug without the side effects of muscle aches and nerve damage.
So, although dogs don't usually have high cholesterol levels, if your dog suffers from this disease, try watermelon, a food rich in lycopene.

Cancer prevention
Unexpected benefits of watermelon for dogs
Like other carotenoids, lycopene has cancer-preventing properties. This is because it is a powerful antioxidant. It stabilizes free radicals and prevents cell damage that can lead to cancer. Many studies have shown that lycopene may play an active role in the prevention and treatment of cancers such as kidney cell cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer.

II. Precautions for dogs eating watermelon

There are two sides to everything, and while we have listed many benefits of watermelon for dogs, not much is better. It is not difficult to understand that watermelon is high in sugar, and if too much sugar is consumed, it may lead to obesity, diabetes, mild inflammation, premature aging, and food allergies in dogs ...... So, be sure to choose whether to feed watermelon in conjunction with your own dog's health and if so, be sure to control the amount and not give too much.

It is especially important to note that if you are feeding your dog watermelon, then be sure to exclude watermelon rind and seeds.

Ninety-five percent of the ingredients in watermelon are water, which is not harmful to the dog's body. If the weather is hot, you can even put the seeded watermelon flesh with some honey and yogurt in the fridge and turn it into your dog's favorite summer snack. But be careful not to give your dog too much watermelon. You can feed it in small amounts because watermelon is a cold fruit and dogs may develop soft stools or diarrhea if they eat too much. Watermelon feeding dogs should also pay attention to the fact that dogs should not eat watermelon immediately before or after eating, which may affect the digestion and absorption of the dog's gastric juices, as well as the weakness of the dog's intestines, which cannot eat frozen watermelon.

Three, dogs can eat watermelon seeds do

Dogs can not eat watermelon seeds! Eating watermelon has certain benefits for dogs, and can also play a cooling role in summer. However, when feeding your dog watermelon, pick out the seeds, and eat watermelon in moderation.
Dogs can eat watermelon.
Dogs can eat watermelon, but not too much to eat, pay attention to the amount of feeding. Watermelon is rich in vitamins and water, to a certain extent to replenish the body's vitamins and water, but watermelon is also high in sugar, if the dog eats watermelon for a long time, it is easy lead to dog obesity, increased blood sugar; feed the dog to eat too much watermelon is also easy to cause diarrhea in dogs, so the owner recommends not feeding the dog to eat too much watermelon.
Fruits are suitable for dogs to eat in summer.
1, mango; before the dog eats mango, check whether the dog is allergic to mango. If allergic, do not feed the dog. But in general, dogs can eat mangoes, which are rich in carotenoids, vitamin A, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, etc. These are the nutrients needed for the growth and development of dogs. However, pay attention to the mango core must be removed, and do not eat too much, otherwise, it is easy to indigestion.
2, bananas; many people are used to eating bananas when their stomachs are upset, which can be done for dogs. Bananas are rich in fiber, which helps intestinal motility, especially for constipated dogs. Of course, if the dog does not like to eat bananas, pet owners can feed their dogs some probiotics, which can regulate gastrointestinal health.
3, blueberries; blueberries have very high nutritional value, not only for humans but also for dogs. First of all, blueberries are rich in antioxidants, which can resist free radicals, improve the urinary system and prevent the dog's brain from aging.
Can puppies eat watermelon?
Eat watermelon should also pay attention to the time, do not eat watermelon before or immediately after the dog's meal, will image gastric juice digestion and absorption.
And its gut is not like humans, chilled watermelon it can not afford.
Summer can eat watermelon with the dog, the owner should control themselves Oh, do not eat too much, the dog is also, eat too much diarrhea is not good.
Pregnant dogs also do not eat watermelon.