Alert for Pet Owners

I got an email today about some gardening bedding being sold and it is toxic to pets.

Here is the article:

Subject: Alert pet owners - DANGER - Important!!

I received this yesterday from my cousin - checked it out at snopes and, unbelievably, it's true!!! I thought EVERYONE knew chocolate is toxic to animals!

Even if you don't have a pet, please pass this to those who do.



Yesterday one of our dog agility friends experienced a tragedy and
wanted me to pass a special message along to all of my dog loving friends
and family...

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 web site, 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 caution, 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, a xanthine 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.

****PLEASE GIVE THIS THE WIDEST DISTRIBUTION****

wow!! thanks for telling us about that..thats really scary,

This is mulch used for gardening, Liz.

...i cant see well because i need new contacts lol ..i need to go to get it gone soon..

I'm sure at some time or another everyone has fed raisens and grapes to their suggies. These, also will kill a do, FYI. Turkey, also, will cause severe pancreatitis.

sorry, I meant to spell dogs not do.