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Post subject: All Creatures Great and Small....
 Posted: Jul 09, 2008 - 06:42 AM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 7903
Location: CA
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Warning for dog lovers--
Another highly toxic product & a senseless tragedy 
VERIFIED by Snopes- VERIFIED ALSO BY GOOGLE
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. Please tell every dog owner you know.
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.
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." True information about the mulch
can be found here - http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoa.htm
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.
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 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 email the manufacturer at michellemessick@ hersheys. com and request that accurate information about this product be posted on the packaging to avoid further tragedy.
PLEASE GIVE THIS THE WIDEST DISTRIBUTION !!!
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 09, 2008 - 07:42 AM
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Member
Joined: Feb 12, 2005
Posts: 9678
Location: I destroy my enemy when I make him my friend.--Abraham Lincoln
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Thanks for the heads up littlestar!  |
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Let's do it as a memorial to Joyce Mason
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 09, 2008 - 03:12 PM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 3369
Location: New Jersey USA
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What a shame for those poor owners.
Thanks for the tip, I'll be avoiding this stuff. Who wants their garden to smell like chocolate anyway?  |
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Speaking as an enourmously unlikable person, I find it difficult to maintain grudges against all those that want to kill me, don't you? - Alan Shore
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 09, 2008 - 04:02 PM
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Member
Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 5589
Location: Corn country in Illinois
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| CaptJTK wrote: | What a shame for those poor owners.
Thanks for the tip, I'll be avoiding this stuff. Who wants their garden to smell like chocolate anyway? |
I'm with you...any dog owner should be careful of ANYTHING they put in their yard, and this stuff sounds stupid to me.
I'd be like walking in a candy bar each time you go out in your yard... 
I'd be afraid it would attract every sweet eating insect around if it smelled like chocolate.
Hi Steve!
DianaG |
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LT. Star Fleet Ship's Chaplain/Councelor, USSBlackhawk
"Jesus said to her I am the Resurrection and the Life ..." John 11:25
"O Death where is thy sting?.... the Victory is thru Jesus Christ." I Cor. 15:54-56
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Johnny_Turbo |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 09, 2008 - 04:42 PM
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Member
Joined: Jan 14, 2003
Posts: 5443
Location: Chillville, PA
Status: Offline
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In the past, I used Hershey's cocoa bean mulch all the time. I loved the way it smelled, and to me, it looked a heck of a lot nicer in a flower bed than the normal hardwood mulch.
But ever since Hershey moved a lot of jobs to Mexico, I won't go to the park, eat the chocolate or buy any more cocoa bean mulch. Milton Snavely Hershey and his mom, Fanny Snavely are spinning in their graves after that sell-out move!! |
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C'mon, The Tanner, check his I.D.
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Claudia |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 09, 2008 - 05:59 PM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 3861
Status: Offline
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Thank-you Littlestar.
That little "trouble" below is not allowed chocolate. There are some good alternative on the market for dogs which are non poisonous to them.
I know people who have cocoa mulch in their garden. It can smell quite bad actually when soaked by rain.
Maybe the English climate is not meant for tropical plant material. |
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Claudia
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 11, 2008 - 03:12 AM
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Joined: Sep 18, 2004
Posts: 4988
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Thanks for the heads up, Littlestar. I can't imagine anyone wanting to manufacture a substance for yards that is hazardous to pets.
On the same note, many coffee houses will give people free coffee grinds to use in their garden. Equally nasty to pets. |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 12, 2008 - 04:38 AM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 5589
Location: Corn country in Illinois
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| Cat wrote: | Thanks for the heads up, Littlestar. I can't imagine anyone wanting to manufacture a substance for yards that is hazardous to pets.
On the same note, many coffee houses will give people free coffee grinds to use in their garden. Equally nasty to pets. |
Coffee grinds?
What on earth were those used for? Fertilizer or bug repelent or what?
DianaG |
_________________
LT. Star Fleet Ship's Chaplain/Councelor, USSBlackhawk
"Jesus said to her I am the Resurrection and the Life ..." John 11:25
"O Death where is thy sting?.... the Victory is thru Jesus Christ." I Cor. 15:54-56
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 12, 2008 - 06:53 PM
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Member
Joined: Nov 12, 2004
Posts: 8921
Location: New England
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| DianaG wrote: | | Cat wrote: | Thanks for the heads up, Littlestar. I can't imagine anyone wanting to manufacture a substance for yards that is hazardous to pets.
On the same note, many coffee houses will give people free coffee grinds to use in their garden. Equally nasty to pets. |
Coffee grinds?
What on earth were those used for? Fertilizer or bug repelent or what?
DianaG |
Some use those grounds for acid loving plants.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load ... 20209.html |
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 13, 2008 - 03:55 AM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 7903
Location: CA
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 13, 2008 - 04:49 AM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 5589
Location: Corn country in Illinois
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Awwwwww
Ehat a cute story!!
DianaG |
_________________
LT. Star Fleet Ship's Chaplain/Councelor, USSBlackhawk
"Jesus said to her I am the Resurrection and the Life ..." John 11:25
"O Death where is thy sting?.... the Victory is thru Jesus Christ." I Cor. 15:54-56
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Post subject:
Posted: Jul 15, 2008 - 03:26 AM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 7903
Location: CA
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