Can Dogs Eat Mango? Yes, Without the Pit or Skin

Why mango flesh is safe but the pit is not

Ripe mango flesh contains nothing known to poison dogs. It supplies fiber and vitamins, and most dogs love the sweetness. The AKC considers mango safe when it is properly prepared and given only now and then, which in practice means flesh only.

The pit is a different matter. It is large, slippery and hard, so a dog that tries to swallow it can choke, and if it passes the throat it can lodge in the stomach or intestine. The AKC also notes the pit contains small amounts of cyanide. The skin is not toxic, but it is fibrous and difficult to digest, so peel it away.

How to cut mango for your dog

Wash the mango, slice the two cheeks away from either side of the pit, and score the flesh into a grid without cutting through the skin. Turn the cheek inside out and slice the cubes off, then throw the skin and the pit straight into a lidded trash can your dog cannot reach.

Cut the flesh into pieces about the size of a blueberry for a dog under 20 lb and the size of a grape for larger dogs. Ripe mango is soft, but dogs gulp sweet things, so small pieces still matter. Frozen cubes of plain mango make a slow, cooling treat in hot weather.

How much mango by dog weight

Mango is one of the sweeter fruits you can share, so keep it well inside the 10 percent treat allowance the AKC recommends. A dog under 20 lb needs no more than one or two small cubes, a dog of 20 to 50 lb about three or four, and a dog over 50 lb a few tablespoons of diced flesh.

Offer it a couple of times a week rather than daily. A first serving should be smaller than these amounts so you can see how your dog's stomach handles it. Overdoing it is the usual cause of the bellyache and diarrhea the AKC warns about.

For dogs that gulp anything new, a slow feeder bowl or a lick mat keeps portions small and eating slow.

Mango for puppies

Puppies can taste mango once they are weaned and eating solid food, but start with one tiny cube. Young dogs react to sugar and new fruit more easily than adults, and their narrower throats make large pieces riskier.

Keep a puppy well away from whole mangoes on the counter or in a fruit bowl, because a curious puppy chewing on a pit is exactly the situation that ends in a blockage. Most of a puppy's diet should still come from a complete puppy food, with fruit as an occasional extra.

If your dog swallowed a mango pit or ate too much

A dog that ate a lot of mango flesh may have loose stool or vomiting within a few hours, which usually settles within a day. A swallowed pit is more serious. Some pass without trouble, but watch closely over the next two to three days for vomiting, retching without bringing anything up, a tender belly, straining, or a dog that stops eating.

Call your vet as soon as you know a pit went down, even if your dog looks fine, especially for dogs under 50 lb. Repeated vomiting, a swollen or painful abdomen, or no stool for a day means get seen today, because a blockage can need surgery.

Mango products to avoid

Dried mango is concentrated sugar and often has more added, so it is a poor treat. Mango sorbet, smoothies, juice and mango candy are mostly sugar, and some sugar-free versions contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. Mango salsa usually contains onion, garlic or chili, all of which should stay off a dog's plate.

If your dog eats something sweetened with xylitol, call your vet, ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 straight away; a fee may apply. Fresh, plain mango flesh is the only form worth sharing.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.