WARNING

TexasLisa

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Little Falls Animal Hospital (New Jersey)

Every dog or cat owner should know this but even if you don't have a pet, you might want to consider passing this on 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. Halfway 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."

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

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.
 

Mini Horses

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Thanks. No dogs now but will pas info to anyone I know with them. This is sad...they should have the warning ON THE BAG!
 

baymule

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I always heard that chocolate was bad for dogs, now I know why.
 

Hinotori

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I thought they quit selling this decades ago. It was the new IN thing in the late 90s and a lot of dogs died.


I lost my elderly schipperke to theobromine poisoning at age 15. Even with arthritis and an almost fused hip she climbed up up the cabinet and got some dark chocolate to happily eat. It was a very bad day even though we came home and caught it fairly quick.
 

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