Mangoes are dried to increase their shelf life and ensure the availability of fruit around the year. When sliced and dehydrated, this tropical food makes an excellent natural chewy candy with no chemicals, no additives, and no artificial flavors. These dried mango chunks are often used in fruit salads, cocktails, and tutti frutti ice creams.
When they make a healthy, chewy snack, people often think, Can dogs eat dried fruit? Will these cause problems in dogs when eaten? For example, is dried mango safe for dogs?
Yes! Dogs can eat dried mango; not only is it safe for them, but also it provides a number of health benefits to your dog.
Can Dogs Eat Dried Mango Flesh?
Dried mangoes flesh has natural sugar, making it a healthy treat for dogs. It’s non-toxic for dogs and provides some nutritional benefits as well. But it’s wise to feed your dog dried mango pieces in moderation. Some people think that the drying process makes food less nutritious, thus lessening some extra sugar, but that’s not the case. Dried fruit has the same amount of sugar as that of fresh fruit, but it becomes concentrated in the dried fruit, so feed it in small quantities.
Can Dogs Eat Dried Mango Peel?
Dried mango peel, also called mango skin, is not that toxic; in fact, it’s loaded with numerous nutrients and antioxidants. But peel of dried mangoes doesn’t taste good and is not digested easily, leading to intestinal blockage if you let a dog eat mango peels to his fill.
Can Dogs Eat Dried Mango Pits?
Dried mango pits can cause choking hazards when a dog tries to eat the whole fruit or whole seed. A choking hazard that is not treated timely can put your dog at risk of danger. Moreover, mango pits can be poisonous for dogs, just like some fruits’ seeds, such as berries, peaches, and plums. This is because they have cyanide in them.
If a dog ingests the seed without chewing it, it won’t cause much harm as cyanide has not been exposed to the body’s internal organs. But it causes some major issues when the seed is chewed. One major issue is that of cyanide poisoning.
Cyanide poisoning in dogs can be fatal in a few minutes. This is because cyanide binds with the heam-containing enzymes reducing their oxygen-carrying capacity. You can already imagine the result -- lack of oxygen in the body despite its availability. Other symptoms include convulsions, tremors, seizures, abnormal heart rate, hyperventilation, and bright red mucous membrane. So, the fruit pits are toxic for your furry friend and are not safe for us humans as well.
Can Dogs Eat Dried Fruit?
Many types of fruits are safe to eat for dogs, whether they are fresh or dehydrated. But it is not recommended to intentionally feed your dog dried fruit in large quantities as these have concentrated forms of nutrients, especially vitamins so they are surprisingly richer in nutrients as compared to the fresh ones. And the same goes for the calories; obviously, you don’t want to feed him calories in excess, which can lead to different diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and stomach upset.
Dried fruits like apple, apricot, cranberries, figs, strawberries, bananas are all safe and non-toxic to dogs. Dried pineapple and dried mango are also safe. Dried pineapple, figs, and apricots are rich in fibers and thus are healthy for the dog’s digestive system. But the key is moderation when feeding him a dried fruit because excess of everything is bad.
On the other hand, dried fruit like raisins (dried grapes), cherries, and avocados are not safe and prove to be toxic for dogs when fed to them, even in small amounts.
Is Fresh Mango Fruit Safe for Dogs?
Yes, fresh mango is perfectly safe for dogs. But the rule for mango peel and pits remain the same. One can peel the mango, take out the pit, and cut the flesh into small pieces to serve them as healthy snacks to dogs. Ripe mango is even better, as it is soft, and dogs can digest it easily.
Mango is a popular fruit among humans, which they eat raw as well as make part of human food, such as desserts. Though certain foods are safe for dogs, they don’t have added sugar or other ingredients harmful for dogs. But all human foods are not safe because of added sugars, such as mango ice cream, mango pudding, mango trifle, tart, and many more.
Benefits of Feeding Dogs Mangoes
Following are the benefits of both fresh and dried mango:
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are powerful molecules that help dogs neutralize the free radicals in their body formed as a result of metabolism and pathogen attack. For example, beta carotene is an important antioxidant found in mangoes.
Vitamins
There are many vitamins in mangoes, such as Vitamin A, C, and B9. Vitamin A is essential for improved vision. It also empowers the immune system of dogs, helping them fight off cancers and other diseases. Vitamin C is helpful in reducing inflammation and aging. Vitamin C is also an important antioxidant. Vitamin B9, also known as folate, is important for DNA synthesis.
All these vitamins make fresh as well as dried mango good for dogs.
Proteins
Dried mango also has proteins in it. A dog’s body needs proteins for healthy skin, hair, and muscles. It is also important for hormone production as most of the hormones are protein in nature. But this fruit alone cannot fulfill the dog’s daily protein requirement; you have to aid it through other healthy foods.
Dietary Fiber
The fruit is not rich in fibers, but the amount present is more than sufficient to aid a dog’s digestion.
Related Contents
How Many Mangos Can Dogs Have?
While most dogs love to eat, sweet treats are not good for them in large quantities. If you want to add this dried fruit as healthy treats to your dog’s diet, just feed a few cubes or pieces of the flesh. As a dog owner, it’s your responsibility to keep your dog’s menu in check. Make sure he is not consuming anything harmful for his health and is not consuming any particular food in large amounts as long as you don’t want to harm him.
Before adding new food to a dog’s menu, check for allergies, if any. In the case of a dog showing symptoms, contact a vet so that he can recommend the foods that make a perfect match for your pup’s health.
Harms of Eating Too Many Mangoes
Before you let dogs eat mango, consider the following downsides of its overconsumption:
Too Much Sugar Content
Fresh as well as dried mangoes are high in sugar. Too much sugar can cause many diseases in your dog. It can raise the blood sugar level, which gives room for diabetes. Oral intake of sugar in large quantities can cause several dental issues as well, such as tooth decay.
Moreover, it has more calories than the dog’s daily caloric intake, making your dog prone to weight gain.
Upset Stomach
The addition of too many mangoes to a pet’s diet can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Conclusion
You can give a dog mango fruit in dried form safely as long as you keep the skin and pits away. It provides a lot of benefits. But it’s high in sugar content and causes other problems when consumed in large amounts, so it’s better to keep a check on your dog while he enjoys this sweet snack.