The
following information is posted to help make all dog owners aware of the dangers certain products, toys,
etc. present to our the life and health of our canine (and feline) friends. Please share it with all pet owners
to protect our furry buddies!
(received
10/22/08) - Please tell every dog owner you know. 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, she had a seizure and died instantly.
Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website, 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."
This Snopes site gives the following information: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.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. Just a word of c aution, check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners
are using in your gardens. 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, axanthine 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.
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(previous notice) A couple of months back, I received an email of a story
of a poor dog who was playing with what seemed to be a harmless toy - a pimple ball. It is a round rubber ball with
small "pimples" all over it and typically a bell in the middle. Well, to make a long story short, because
the way the ball is constructed, it creates a vaccuum, and this poor dog got his tongue stuck. He had to have his tongue
amputated. Please read the story yourself, and let all your friends know the dangers of what seems to be a harmless
toy. Thanks. http://www.thechaistory.blogspot.com/
