Mangoes are a tropical treat that we love in smoothies, frozen treats, and as fresh, juicy snacks. Sharing our favorite foods with our dogs is a great way to bond and enjoy special moments together. But can dogs eat mango? And if so, are they healthy for our furry friends?
Can Dogs Eat Mango?
Yes, dogs can eat mangoes! Mangoes are a fresh and healthy snack for you and your dog. Rich in vitamins and antioxidants, mangoes are a punchy treat that your dog might find irresistible. We recommend giving mango to your dog in moderation, however, because the fruit is rich in both sugar and dietary fiber, and dogs can easily get too much.
Are Mangoes Healthy for My Dog?
Mangoes are a great source of vitamins A, B6, C, and E. They also contain dietary fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants, and potassium.
Mangoes can help lower cholesterol levels, boost the immune system, improve eyesight, decrease inflammation in the body, and improve digestive health (when served in moderation).
Serving Ideas
- Share frozen mango slices with your dog or a teething puppy.
- Share little pieces of mango as training treats.
- Stir mango puree or baby food into some yogurt or cottage cheese as a snack.
- Share chewy dried mango with your favorite dog when you go out hiking.
- Fruitables makes a popular low-calorie treat for dogs that contains mango. If your dog is crazy about the taste, these treats are a safe, healthy choice
Can Eating Mango Be Dangerous for My Dog?
Sometimes. Make sure to peel mangoes before sharing with your dog. Mango peel can be a choking hazard, and, as a relative of poison ivy, mango peel can also be a skin irritant.
Mango pits or seeds can also be a choking hazard or cause a digestive blockage. The seeds contain cyanide, which is also toxic to dogs at a lower dose than humans.
How Much Mango Can My Dog Eat?
Serve no more than a quarter cup of fresh mango (for a larger dog) periodically as a snack. Eating too much mango can lead to diarrhea or stomach upset because of the fruit’s sugar and fiber content.
Mangoes are high in sugar and have more calories than some other fruits. Fresh mangoes are about 14% sugar by weight, and one cup of sliced mango has about 22 grams of sugar and 99 calories. Moderation is key.
This can make mangoes a sometimes treat for dogs on a reduced-calorie diet, and they are probably not a good idea for dogs with diabetes.
Mango Recipes for Dogs
Try the Mango Counsel’s Frozen Mango Treats for Dogs. For a treat that you can take on the road, cook up some of our Dehydrated Fruit Treats!
Dehydrated Fruit Treats for Dogs
- Author: Kiki Kane
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 hours
- Total Time: 12 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 Trays 1x
- Category: Healthy Treats
Ingredients
- Two Apples
- One Mango
- 3 Cups of Frozen Blueberries
- 2 Lemons
Equipment
- We used a Nesco Snackmaster dehydrator
- Optional: Mandoline, lemon juicer
Instructions
- First, we’re going to make a lemon juice bath to soak the apples in to help prevent browning.
- Juice the lemons into a large glass bowl and add a cup and a half or so of water.
- Peel and slice the apples, placing them into the lemon bath as you finish.
- Peel and slice the mango, tossing them into the lemon bath.
- After the fruit has been in the lemon bath for at least 5 minutes, drain and pat dry with a towel, or cheat like we did and use your salad spinner.
- Place fruit onto dehydrator trays, taking care that nothing touches.
- Whatever style of dehydrator you’re using, you’re going to want to save the bottom trays for your blueberries, as they will drip and spatter juice on the rest of your goodies.
- Spread the frozen blueberries onto the remaining trays, making sure nothing touches.
- Load up your dehydrator and start it up, setting the heat to 130º
- Paper thin slices of apple or mango will dry in as little as 4 hours. Thicker slices 8-12 hours.
- The blueberries will take the longest time, up to overnight! Just check up on them regularly.
Note: Our blueberries were 95% done at 24 hours. We picked out the berries that were still a little juicy and ate them immediately. Sometimes these sacrifices to the cause are necessary.
Notes
- For crisper fruit, keep in the dehydrator longer.
- You can use your oven instead of a dehydrator, set to the lowest possible setting and start checking dryness at 2 hours and every 30 minutes or so thereafter.
- Fruit dried crisp will last longer than veggies dried to the chewy state.
- Chewy fruit snacks should be eaten in the next couple of days or kept in the fridge ideally.
- Crispy dried fruit should last 2 weeks in an airtight container.
- Check out these drying tips from the National Center for Home Preservation for the optimum longevity of your dried goodies.
For More Information
From cucumbers to cantaloupe, there is a wide selection of information on vegetables available on our Can My Dog Eat? directory page.
Learn more about feeding your dog a wonderfully varied diet while learning the limitations of a dog’s sensitive digestive system. We offer a collection of articles on foods that are safe, dangerous or even toxic for dogs to eat, including vegetables, dairy, bread, and junk food.
Learn more about the veggies that are safe for dogs in articles such as Can my dog eat cabbage? and Can my dog eat artichokes?
