Every year, summer comes to visit us like a loving grandmother who brings along the gifts of sunny beaches and yummy tropical fruits, including ‘the king’ itself.
Yes, the succulent mangoes with all their golden glory.
More is less when it comes to mangoes. Even the thought of them can make one drool. How do you prefer to eat mangoes? Sliced or diced?
I personally love to eat mangoes in sliced form, and honestly, whenever I am devouring this devilishly delicious flesh, my dog is literally begging with his cute puppy eyes, tongue hanging, and standing on his behind legs, to share some with him. You may have come across a similar situation, but you wonder, can dogs eat mangoes?
Can Dogs Eat Mangoes?
Yes, dogs can have mangoes.
Loaded with minerals and vitamins, mangoes are not only healthy for dogs but also have a mouthwatering sweet taste, which means your dog is going to absolutely love this treat.
However, feed mangoes as a snack and stick to the 10/90 rule i.e., 10% calories from snacks and 90% calories from regular meals.
Also, don’t feed your dog canned mangoes that are dipped in sugar syrup and artificial preservatives. Vets recommend feeding dogs only with fresh seasonal fruits to get maximum benefits.
Are Mangoes Healthy For My Dog?
Yes, indeed. Fresh, ripe mangoes are rich in nutrients good for a dog’s health.
But when it comes to mangoes, we have three choices: The unripe mango, also known as green mangoes that are hard, tangy, and not good for your dog; ripe mangoes, also known as yellow mangoes that are squishy and soft and are healthy; and, canned mangoes that are floating in the sea of sugar and all those chemicals that can make your dog sick to the stomach.
To prove our point, we will give you a comparison of the nutritional values of each—so you can see for yourself if it’s good for your dog’s stomach or not.
Nutrients in Mangoes
The following comparison table shows the nutrient content in 124g of each type of mangoes.
| Nutrients | Raw Mangoes | Ripe Mangoes | Canned Mangoes | Unit |
| Calories | 40 | 70 | 110 | kCal |
| Total Fats | 0 | 0 | 0 | g |
| Carbs | 8 | 19 | 26 | g |
| Protein | 0.9 | 1 | <1 | g |
| Vitamin A | 79.5 | 67 | 30 | mcg RAE |
| Vitamin C | 106.3 | 45 | 14 | mg |
| Calcium | 17.4 | 14 | 14 | mg |
| Sugar | 1.8 | 17 | 25 | g |
| Sodium | 54 | 0 | 0 | mg |
Out of all the three choices, ripe mangoes have moderate quantities of nutrients except for sugar.
To help you have a clearer picture of what these values mean, let’s discuss each one in detail.
- Calories
A physically active 10 kg dog needs about 400 calories daily, and as per the 90/10 rule, dogs can have only 40 calories by eating mangoes.
From that perspective, canned mangoes are totally out of the picture because of the high calories. Here, as of yet, the raw mangoes have won the race, but we have to factor in other nutrients as well.
- Carbs
Not much, not less, carbs are good for dogs to stay healthy and fulfill their glucose needs when consumed only in moderation. Therefore, ripe mangoes seem to be a healthy option for dogs.
- Vitamin A
Vitamin A is required for optimal functioning of skin, coat, muscles, nerves, and vision. However, too much consumption causes Hypervitaminosis, a disease that causes weakness, lethargy, anorexia, loss of appetite, peeling skin, paralysis, and nausea.
For a 25kg dog, the daily food intake requirement is 500g, and according to The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), adult dog food should provide 5000 IU or 125mcg of Vitamin A per kilogram of food. Upon conversions, it is found that for 500g, 62.5mcg of Vitamin is required daily.
The above comparison table shows that raw mangoes contain 79.5mcg, ripe mangoes 67mcg, and canned mangoes 30mcg. Because of Vitamin A content, canned mangoes are a good choice. Hence, ripe mangoes take the lead.
- Vitamin C
Per the research, a small dog requires 125 to 500 mg of Vitamin C, split into two meals.
Raw mangoes contain 107 mg of Vitamin C, and because of this high content, they are not suitable for dogs, especially for small dogs. A dog’s stomach also produces Vitamin C, so if they consume it from their food too, it can lead to vitamin C toxicity.
In case of Vitamin C toxicity, the pH of a dog’s urine increases, making it more acidic than normal. Increased Vitamin C can lead to calcium oxalate accumulation in the kidney, causing bladder stones, bloody urine or a urinary blockage.
- Calcium
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommends that an adult dog consume 1.25 mg calcium/kcal daily.
Too much calcium intake can make a dog lethargic and weak, in addition to causing bladder or kidney stones.
Raw mangoes are high in calcium compared to the other two types of mangoes; therefore, they are not healthy for dogs.
- Sugar
For both humans and dogs, high sugar content is considered poison.
High levels of sugars cause diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high-lows, heart diseases, and pancreatitis.
One of the most critical reasons that canned fruits are prohibited for dogs is their elevated sugar levels. Though ripe mangoes consist of 17g of sugars, which is not healthy, but it is natural sugar—not so dangerous for dogs compared to the processed sugar that can take a toll on their health.
- Sodium
0mg of sodium in ripe mangoes, 0mg of sodium in canned mangoes, but 54 mg of sodium in raw mangoes.
See the difference?
Excess sodium intake increases blood pressure because it holds extra fluid, and that creates stress on the heart as well. Thus, too much sodium will increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, and kidney diseases.
According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials, an adult dog’s food should contain 0.17g of sodium per 1000 calories. In terms of these calculations, raw mangoes can increase sodium levels to a dangerous extent; thus, they are not healthy for dogs.
This detailed analysis shows that high vitamin C and calcium levels of raw mangoes and high sugar content of canned mangoes are the reasons that a dog should be fed only with soft, juicy, and eye-refreshing ripe yellow mangoes. Moreover, as green mangoes are hard, your dog might choke while eating them. Lastly, they are not easy to digest as well.
How To Feed Mangoes to My Dog?
Peel the skin, remove the pit, slice or dice the flesh, put them in front of your dog, and let him savor the divinely luscious yellow chunks of ‘the king of fruits’.
Dogs have sharp teeth that can tear apart the pit of mangoes, so discard it properly where the dog won’t reach it. Mango pits can cause a choking hazard and also contain amygdalin, a compound that degrades into cyanide, a poison. As mango pits are large in size as compared to watermelon or apple seed, they are more dangerous.
Similarly, a dog’s stomach can’t digest the peel, which can cause constipation or stomach upset, so safely discard that too.
Here are some creative ideas you can use to show your love to your dog.
- Mango Pupsicles
- Frozen Mango Chunks
How Much Mango Can My Dog Eat?
A quarter cup of fresh mango chunks is enough.
Benefits of Mangoes For Dogs
Mangoes are rich in vitamins A, B6, C, K, and E. They also comprise dietary fiber, antioxidants, folate, potassium, and beta-carotene that turn into Vitamin A in the body.
Thanks to this, mangoes can help boost the immune system, improve eyesight and digestive health, lower cholesterol levels, and decrease swelling in the body.
The yellow color of mangoes is because of beta-carotene, which is also an antioxidant. These antioxidants fight the free radicals in the body to prevent cancer. They are especially good for puppies and senior dogs as they strengthen their immune system, prevent muscular weakness, and improve their cognition and memory retention.
Are Mangoes Dangerous For Dogs?
As is evident from the foregoing analysis, mangoes are not dangerous for dogs. This tropical fruit is replete with natural health-boosting vitamins and antioxidants.
Can dogs eat mangoes? Yeah, but not too much—we obviously don’t want our buddy to get sick with our favorite fruit.