Watermelon Seeds?

by MesaMouse Tue 21 Jun 2016, 2:52 pm

I know that watermelon fruit is OK for mice but what about the seeds? It's hard these days to find a mini-watermelon with seeds but somehow I inadvertently did Giggle

! Rather than toss those tiny seeds, I thought I'd bake them dry as a treat for Cordelia...if they're OK, that is.

by scaredymouse Tue 21 Jun 2016, 3:47 pm

So, the Brown's Tropical Carnival Select Seed Treats for hams, gerbils, rats and mice has watermelon seeds in it and I have been feeding them to my girls for years. Of course, sometimes pet store stuff tries to kill our babies but I'm pretty sure their safe. I wish there was a definitive list for stuff like this!

by MouseLover Tue 21 Jun 2016, 5:15 pm

Pretty sure they're safe Thumbs Up

by MesaMouse Tue 21 Jun 2016, 5:34 pm

Thanks for your responses. I had the same thoughts about the Brown's mix, scaredymouse, as I've fed it to all of my mice for years (sans peanuts, raisins and striped sunflower seeds) with no ill affects. I'm going to go ahead and bake those little seeds for Cordy.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Tue 21 Jun 2016, 6:04 pm

Yeah, I looked it up online and it says they are safe, I'm sure they will enjoy them!

by scaredymouse Tue 21 Jun 2016, 7:28 pm

I was wondering where you found information online that stated that watermelon seeds are safe for mice.

by CallaLily Tue 21 Jun 2016, 8:50 pm

I have fed them to my mice too. They really enjoyed them. Very Happy

by AnonymousMouseOwner Tue 21 Jun 2016, 8:56 pm

scaredymouse wrote:I was wondering where you found information online that stated that watermelon seeds are safe for mice.

A couple of sources for mice, & hamsters (Which are both similar) said so:
http://www.fancymicebreeders.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=11312
(On this source it's kind of a debate \/)
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100705132145AAEOm1G

So basically you can give it to them, but not too much or it can cause diarrhea.

by scaredymouse Tue 21 Jun 2016, 9:44 pm

I also found sources like the ones you found but wasn't able to find any trustworthy sources. In this case, it's not a big deal but just be careful when stating that something is safe or not. We don't know who those people are on that message board or where they got their information from. Because there is so much misinformation out there and we are dealing with such fragile little animals, we try to not to state something with certainty unless we have a credible source or we know the answer ourselves.

by AnonymousMouseOwner Tue 21 Jun 2016, 9:52 pm

scaredymouse wrote:I also found sources like the ones you found but wasn't able to find any trustworthy sources. In this case, it's not a big deal but just be careful when stating that something is safe or not. We don't know who those people are on that message board or where they got their information from. Because there is so much misinformation out there and we are dealing with such fragile little animals, we try to not to state something with certainty unless we have a credible source or we know the answer ourselves.

Sorry, I've only been registered a few days, still getting used to the rules.

by scaredymouse Tue 21 Jun 2016, 10:03 pm

Not a problem. It's not really a rule, per se, but we strive to provide accurate information. I would hate for someone's mouse to get hurt because of something they read here. We appreciate your help trying to find the answer. That's what we do here to help each other. My only feedback is to just include the link, like you did, and then the original poster can use the information how they see fit and you aren't responsible for any misinformation. It's the CYA approach, cover your @$$. This will help you in your life, I promise.

by Cow Tue 12 Jul 2016, 2:25 pm

I tried to find some sources that weren't necessarily pet related (which I don't know if that's good or bad or not)

The physics forum tends to have good information, and I found this link: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/safe-to-eat-watermelon-seeds.101043/

"No, watermelon seeds do not pose any health risks. Fruited plants like watermelon, apples, etc are evolutionarily "designed"* to be eaten by animals such as deer, mice, birds, or even you. The idea is that grazing animals will eat the watermelon, seeds and all, and then pass the seeds out unharmed in the feces. The animal has thus spread the seed to a new area and even surrounded it in fertilizer. So you see, eating is watermelon seeds isn't just safe, but is a part of the natural life cycle of the watermelon. You are in no danger. Eat up! "

Now, we know that not every seed is safe, and the thread goes on to mention other seeds with dangerous chemical compositions.

Then I also found this source: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf001117%2B

It's a little technical and I can't access the full text, but I find some comfort that they're comparing it to pumpkin seeds and breaking both down into their chemical constituents.

I feel that the seeds would be pretty safe, but of course it's up to you to use these sources to reach a conclusion. I think these are pretty solid sources, but they are geared towards humans and not mice too!

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