This is a good time of year for a reminder of the dangers of Cocoa mulch and chocolate in general. These can be potentially lethal to dogs depending on the amount ingested.
Just recently, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch 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, it was found that 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.'
Visit the Snopes webpage for more detailed information on the dangers of Cocoa mulch and chocolate. Please take the time to do research on this mulch before using it in areas where your dogs might find it tasty.
This is also a good opportunity to remind everyone that *all* chocolate is potentially toxic dogs.
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