Cocoa Mulch

[Dax]

: Please read & pass on to dog owners! re Cocoa Mulch

Yesterday one of our dog agility friends experienced a tragedy and
wanted me to pass a special message along to all of my dog loving
friends and family. Please tell dog owner you know.

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 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 companies web site, this product is HIGHLY toxic
to dogs.

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."

True information about the mulch can be found here -

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoa.htm

This site gives the
following information:

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and
other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called "Theo
bromine".

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.

Theo bromine is the ingredient that is used to make 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 email the manufacturer at michellemessick@hersheys.com and
request that accurate information about this product be posted on the
packaging to avoid further tragedy.

PLEASE GIVE THIS WIDEST DISTRIBUTION

Posted for dobermom

[dobermom]

Thanks Dax!!! That was quick!

[bernicesmama]

Good looking out. you would think they would label it better.

[mara]

I've just copied and sent this to all my dog lovin' friends. I'm taking a copy to my agility training facility.
Thanks for posting Dax!!

[BabyElephant]

Here is some more information regarding this: (taken from http://petcaretips.net/cocoa-mulch-dog.html )

Cocoa Bean Mulch: Keep Out of Reach of Dogs
by Charlie Nardozzi

Gardeners who own dogs know that some canines love to dig in
freshly turned earth or mulched beds. Although much of a
gardener's concern is for the health of plants, there's reason to
be concerned for your dog's health as well. Some dogs have a
fondness for actually eating certain types of mulch, but if you
use cocoa bean mulch, this munching can be hazardous to your dog.

Cocoa bean mulch is a byproduct of the chocolate-making industry.
The mulch is highly prized by gardeners for its dark, rich color
and high nutrient content, not to mention the delicious aroma.
Unfortunately, cocoa mulch contains high levels of theobromine,
the same chemical that makes chocolate bars harmful to dogs.
Ingesting even low doses of cocoa mulch can be risky for pooches.
A 50-pound dog eating 2 ounces of mulch will likely experience
gastrointestinal upset. If the dog eats 4.5 ounces, its heart
rate will increase. Ingesting more than 5 ounces can lead to
seizures, and eating over 9 ounces can cause death. Signs of
theobromine poisoning will occur 4 to 6 hours after ingestion.


Cocoa mulch can be poisonous to a dog that ingests it.


Not all dogs are attracted to the fresh cocoa bean mulch, and
some don't show these poisoning effects, but if dogs are
interested, they can quickly gorge themselves on the mulch.

From January 2002 to April 2003, 16 cases of cocoa bean mulch
ingestion were reported to the American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control
Center. While most cases showed varying degrees of vomiting and
increased heart rate, in one-third of the cases no effects were
noted. However, considering the risks, you may want to closely
supervise your dog when outdoors or use an alternative product,
such as shredded bark mulch, in your garden next year.

For more information on cocoa bean mulch effects on dogs, go to
the ASPCA Web site.
© 2004 National Gardening Association
www.garden.org, www.kidsgardening.com

[dobermum]

Wanted you to know, I used this stuff all over my flower beds last year, and quickly found out how attractive dogs found it. I had to put fencing all around the beds to keep Rory out of them. He did eat a bit before I clued in what was going on. For heavens sake, don't buy the stuff. Looks great, smells great, plants do great. It goes white and mouldy in shaded areas when moist, and I suspect this to be the most dangerous part.