Cocoa Mulch
Please share this with all the pet owners you know and ask them to do the same - the information you take a few minutes to share might prevent the senseless loss of other pets.
Please tell every dog or cat owner you know.. Even if you don't have a pet, please pass this to those who do.
Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.
Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.
Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it."
Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called 'Theobromine' . It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells li ke chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.
Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.
**PLEASE PASS THIS ON**
www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulc
h.asp
- Josie
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by LaRissa L. Head on
-
I just came back from a dog obedience class and the instructor gave us the same info! Scary stuff!
-
Permalink Reply by Andrea De Leo on
-
Thank you for this! This is the first I am hearing of this.
-
Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
-
I have heard of this awhile ago but never thought to pass it on! Thanks!
-
Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on
-
Fortunately we on't care about our flowers here! lol! No mulch for us. But, I'll be aware in case we walk into any mulched territory. Thanks so much for the infoes; it could save a life.
-
Permalink Reply by Beth on
-
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp
From snopes:
"Eaten by a 50-pound dog, about 2 ounces of cocoa bean mulch may cause gastrointestinal upset; about 4.5 ounces, increased heart rate; about 5.3 ounces, seizures; and over 9 ounces, death. (In contrast, a 50-pound dog can eat up to about 7.5 ounces of milk chocolate without gastrointestinal upset and up to about a pound of milk chocolate without increased heart rate.)
So it definitely is a concern. Mulch does not weigh too much, though, and I would imagine that 9 ounces of mulch is a LOT of mulch.
So, I definitely would not use it (for a variety of reasons, one of them being the sweet smell of chocolate is not what I want in my perennial beds!). However if your dog takes a quick nibble it won't hurt and most dogs would probably not eat that much mulch even given free choice.
Similarly, I have some "toxic" plants in my home/yard, but I don't imagine my dog will sit down and eat a rhododendron!
It's still definitely a good warning to pass on, as some people might not be aware of it and some dogs will literally eat anything.
Rescue Store
Stay Connected
FDA Recall
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall
Groups
We support...
Badge
© 2024 Created by Sam Tsang.
Powered by
