Thursday, September 17, 2009

Cocoa Mulch & Chocolate - Poison for Our Pets

Cocoa Mulch is a garden mulch that actually contains cocoa beans and is sold in many garden stores around the country . You may have already received an email about this, but it's worthy of reading again. Cocoa Mulch is said to have a sweet smell that can entice your pet to take a bite or even ingest some. Checking with snopes.com, (which I have found to be reputable) , this is what I found. First, It is true that this cocoa mulch is dangerous and can be deadly to your pets. There are only a few documented cases of death, but that's enough for me to NOT take the chance with my Gordons. Studies show that 98% of dogs won't eat the stuff. But, of the ones who do, 50% of those were harmed in some degree or another, depending on the individual dog. The cocoa mulch contains cocoa beans. Cocoa beans contain 2 stimulants. One is called theobromine, the other is caffeine. (Both, also in chocolate) Your dogs digestive system is sensitive to both. They can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. In high doses they can cause seizures, a rapid heart beat, muscle tremors and death. For more details and more about Chocolate and dogs, please go to snoopes.com and search cocoa mulch. Well worth the read.



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