cocoa mulch

queensway_boy

This message came to us from Ali Taylor, Head of Welfare at Battersea Dogs Home:

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

Over the weekend the doting owners of two young Labrador crosses purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. It smelled lovely and was advertised as helping to keep cats away from the 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, Mum woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Half way through the walk Calypso had a seizure and died instantly.

The mulch had NO warnings printed on the label or packaging but upon further investigation on the company's website, a notice was found saying 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, which is also present in chocolate. Theobromine is lethal to dogs and cats.

The cocoa mulch smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. Ingesting this stuff means a dog has little chance of survival and will most likely die.

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.

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!

Penny_Watcher

Thanks for that QB.

This would be a good time to remind dog owners that Xylitol (a sugar substitue often used in sugar free sweets and gum) can be highly toxic to dogs. It apparently causes the dogs to secrete insulin so their blood (even though it doesn't happen to humans). This causes the dog's blood sugar drops very quickly. It can also cause liver failure.

BigMummaF

Our Pup has Kennel Cough, & the Vet said there is a particularly nasty strain doing the rounds just now.

I can't say for certain, but Pup was vomiting & a bit under the weather two weeks ago & had to have rehydration powders & such, so I'm thinking that this could have been a pre-cursor to this week-end's full blown KC.

Might be worth keeping a look-out.

Smashing

While cocoa mulch is harmful to dogs, this one has become a bit of an urban myth - there have been no known deaths for a long time. The message does not come from battersea, the warnings originally came from America and are not applicable to the UK as all bags in the uk already carry a warning about its danger to dogs.

shelley_crow

we have cocoa shells in a small area in our garden. The dog is only allowed in that area when we are with him. The dog eating them hasn't been the problem, it's a struggle to keep my 3 year old away from it