Can Dogs Eat Mango?

Yes, dogs can eat mango, as long as you remove the pit and the skin. The free Dog Toxic-Foods Checker lists mango (no pit or skin) as Safe: “Soft, sweet flesh with vitamins; the big pit is a choking and blockage hazard and the skin is hard to digest.”

This page covers how to cut it, how much to give, and the mango snacks to keep to yourself.

Why mango makes a good treat

Ripe mango is soft, juicy and naturally sweet, which makes it easy to chew and very popular with most dogs. It brings vitamins and fiber along with it, though for a dog on a complete diet those are a bonus. Its softness makes it a good fruit for older dogs, and frozen cubes make a cooling summer reward.

The pit is the danger

The AKC is clear on this: always peel the mango and remove the pit. The pit is a serious choking hazard, it can get stuck in a dog’s digestive tract, and it contains small amounts of cyanide. It’s big, slippery and tempting to chew, which makes it exactly the kind of thing a dog grabs from the counter or the trash.

If your dog swallowed a mango pit, call your vet. Watch for gagging, vomiting, a poor appetite, a sore belly or straining to poop, and don’t wait for those signs before calling. The cherries guide covers the same pit problem in other stone fruit.

How much mango to give

The checker’s portion guide: a small cube or two for a small dog, a few for a large one — it’s sugary, so keep it occasional.

• Count it as a treat. The AKC suggests mango, like any treat, stay within about 10% of daily calories, the same guideline AAHA uses. The free Dog Feeding Calculator gives your dog’s daily number.
• Go slowly. The AKC notes that too much fruit can cause bellyaches and diarrhea.
• Ask first if your dog is diabetic or overweight, because of the natural sugar.

How to cut it

1. Peel it. The AKC says dogs can technically eat the skin, but it’s hard to digest.
2. Cut the flesh away from the pit in slices, and throw the pit away where your dog can’t reach it.
3. Cube it small, especially for small dogs.
4. Freeze a few cubes for a summer treat.

The mango snacks to skip

• Mango with chili-lime seasoning or chamoy: salty, spicy and sour. Easy to upset a dog’s stomach.
• Dried mango: often sweetened, and much more concentrated in sugar than fresh.
• Mango smoothies, sorbet and desserts: added sugar, and sometimes dairy or other ingredients your dog shouldn’t have.
• Mango-flavored yogurt or candy: sweetened, and sometimes made with xylitol (xylitol).

More fruit to rotate

Rotate mango with other plain, dog-safe fruit: blueberries, banana, pears without the core, and watermelon without seeds or rind. Never grapes or raisins (grapes). The free food safety chart puts the whole Safe / Caution / Never list on the fridge.