Beware all cat and dog owners

[bfree]

Checked in Snopes and this is true!




Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled, and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden.

Their dog Calypso decided that 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 actin 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 web site, 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.'


This Snopes site gives the following information:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

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 like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.

Just a word of caution, check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens.

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, axanthine 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.

[johntofva]

No myth about this one, dogs ARE allergic to chocolate.

[luckydog]

just about everyone here uses cypress mulch

or pine bark chips.

[takethecastle57]

People with pets should check with the local animal shelter for a list of pet safe garden supplies and maybe home cleaning supplies and keep the sweets out of reach of our pets

[junkbox]

yeah dude wtf. I've never even heard of cocoa mulch (thanks for the info) but yes, dogs can't hang with chocolate. That is bizarre that Hershey's didn't think about that...
dogs eating dirt go figure.