Cocoa Mulch-Beware

http://boknowsonline.com/2008/06/24/brown-mulch-beware/ ^

[fings]

If your owners use mulch in the yard, please have them read the below letter. There’s danger in that there mulch they might be purchasing. Buyer beware.

Over the weekend one of our friends experienced a tragedy with one of their dogs and wanted me to pass a special message along to all of our dog loving friends and family. Please tell every dog owner you know.

Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from

[Red_Devil 232]

Gardening ping

[Gabz]

Gardening ping........

From the article:

True information about the mulch can be found here - Snopes.com: Cocoa Mulch. This site gives the following information:
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.

[Gabz]

GMTA!!!!!

[CDHart]

Thanks for the post. I have passed it on.

Carolyn

[fanfan]

Bump!

[miketheprof]

Theobromine is the active principle in chocolate. It is very similar structurally to caffeine, and has similar, though milder, effects on humans. I would expect that using cocoa mulch would be similar to spreading chocolate around your yard, as far as dogs go. Most dogs will eat chocolate and get sicker than, well, dogs on it. Death is an uncommon but hardly unknown side effect.

[Red Badger]

..it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die.

I THINK I'LL BUY MY NEIGHBOR SOME FOR HIS PIT BULL..........

[Red Badger]

Death is an uncommon but hardly unknown side effect.

The deaths are probably from the cocoa fibers getting "stopped up" inside the dog............

[Red Badger]

Mulch ado about nothing...........

[CDHart]

Are you saying this mulch is not toxic to dogs?

Carolyn

[Gabz]

Now, now RB.........

Years ago, before Kraft/General Foods eliminated making chocolate products at their Dover, DE plant, the entire town would smell of chocolate all summer long because all the employees brought home the spent cocoa beans for mulch and shared with their neighbors. It was HEAVENLY!

[tubebender]

Thanks for the tip. I know you should never give chocolate to a dog but never considered Cocoa mulch a hazard...

[Red_Devil 232]

GMTA ... ?

[Arrowhead1952]

You may want to ping the garden list to this. I am not trying to sell anything for this nursery, but there is a lot of useful info here.

The Natural Gardener
8648 Old Bee Caves Rd
Austin, TX 78735
512-288-6113

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Soils, compost and mulch

[Gabz]

GMTA = Great Minds Think Alike

You were pinging me to this thread at the same time I was reading the full article and pinging the list :)

[Red Badger]

No, I was making a pun......

[tob2]

Thanks for posting. That is good to know. The mulch I prefer to use is recycled rubber tires! They are chopped up into little pieces, don’t attract ants and mold, can be used for years and years.

[Red Badger]

... recycled rubber tires! They are chopped up into little pieces, don’t attract ants and mold, can be used for years and years.

AND THEY DON'T ATTRACT TERMITES!.................that "red wood" mulch is very attractive to TERMITES!................

[Hoboken]

Thanks for this post! Our 10 week old rottie has been digging in our new mulch lately.