Toxic Cocoa Mulch Warning to Pet Owners

Cocoa Mulch Poisonous to your Dog

A warning is being circulated on dog forums everywhere and snopes.com has a listing for cocoa mulch which is highly toxic to pets.  If you have gardens and are using this mulch be forewarned that if you pet ingests this mulch it could very likely die.

Cocoa Mulch made from Cocoa Beans

An owner of two young lab mixed puppies bought the cocoa mulch for his garden not knowing of the dangers and it is supposedly sold with the benefit of keeping cats out of your yard.

However their dog calypso was drawn to the mulch because of its chocolaty odor and decided to eat a large amount of it. The next day the dog had seizures and died while on a walk. The autopsy revealed a lethal amount of cocoa beans in the dog’s stomach.  In 2007 another dog in Minneapolis died after eating cocoa mulch purchased at a local store.

It is up to Veterinarians, and pet food companies to use their resources to get the word out to pet owners not to buy this product. There are no warnings on the product packaging itself which is sold at most stores like Target, Wal Mart and Home Depot or most gardening stores. The stores themselves do not post warning signs on the product shelves and it is up to pet owners to find this information itself which is highly irresponsible.

Cocoa Mulch is used as a decorative landscaping product and is made of cocoa bean shells which contain:

Toxins called theologize, and a xanthine compound which is similar to caffeine.  If your dog or cat or child for that matter eats the mulch due to the enhanced flavor of chocolate -it can lead to convulsions, and death.
Cocoa bean is what chocolate is made of and chocolate is highly toxic to pets.

Cocoa Mulch come in various Brand Names

Look for warning signs of tremors, shaking restlessness and vomiting in your dog especially if you have neighbors that use the mulch product. Do not let your dog out unattended without first removing the substance and while on a walk be careful of neighboring homes that are using cocoa bean mulch.

ALTERNATIVES IN MULCH PRODUCTS:

The alternative decorative mulches also contain resins and oils which are also harmful to your pets.  The best tip is to not let your dog near mulched areas of your garden, do not leave your pet unattended. Do not let your dog roam around the neighborhood without supervision. If your dog has ingested any of these substances call the Animal Poison Control Center at: 888-426-4435 or induce vomiting immediately.

If you are using these products consider removing them and replacing with plain old wood chips for mulch. Most mulch is available free from your local city or municipal maintenance department.  Or just purchase plain wood chips with no chemical additives.

For more information see:  Snopes.com

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