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Cocoa
Mulch Warning for Pets
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 caution --
check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your
gardeners are using in your gardens. Theobromine is the ingredient that is
used to make all chocolate -- especially dark or baker's chocolate --
which is toxic to dogs.
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 cocoa bean shells developed severe
convulsions and died 17 hours later.
Analysis of the stomach
contents and the ingested cocoa bean shells revealed the presence of
lethal amounts of theobromine.
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