Poison for Dogs and Cats May Lie in Your Garden??



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, Calypso had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website, they learned product is can be HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that 'It is true -- studies have shown 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on the dog).

Snopes gives the following information: Poison

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. Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs.

Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of th eobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffei n e 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.



Dr Mac Barksdale
4270 Aloma Ave, Suite 124-33A
Winter Park, Florida, 32792 USSA