[UrbanCropCircle] Fwd: cocoa mulch and dogs

[Ingela Wanerstrand]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Jennifer Mundee <jennifer at sustainableballard.org>
> Date: March 2, 2009 5:14:26 PM PST
> To: Ingela Wanerstrand <ingela at qwest.net>
> Subject: Fwd: FW: cocoa mulch and dogs
>
> I got this from a friend and thought you might want to send it out to  
> your mailing list.
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Renee L. Freier <rfreier at comcast.net>
>  Date: Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 7:07 PM
> Subject: FW: cocoa mulch and dogs
> To: harrison_741 at msn.com, Jennifer Mundee  
> <jennifer at sustainableballard.org>, Tanya Kamila  
> <tkkamila at speakeasy.net>, alisa luber joe genster  
> <gensters at comcast.net>, Kate Spitzer <KSpitzer at millerhull.com>, Elaine  
> Christensen <Elaine.Christensen at lakesideschool.org>, joanie mass  
> <joanied at mac.com>, "Marchant, Michelle M" <michelle.marchant at hp.com>
>
>
> Hi Ladies, just had this forwarded to me from a friend and I know that  
> many of you have dogs, so read and forward to anyone you know who  
> might garden near a dog or cat. renee
>  
>  
> Renee Freier
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bellevue Demo Garden [mailto:bellevuedemo at hotmail.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 7:55 AM
> Subject: cocoa mulch and dogs
>
> 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<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 week s. 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 reveale! d the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine. 
>
>  Windows Live™ Hotmail®:…more than just e-mail. Check it out.
>
>
>
> -- 
> Jennifer Mundee
> Sustainable Ballard :: Food + Health
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