Mike’s Doghouse

I regularly read a vet’s blog called Dolittler (how could I resist that title?). Dr. Pat Khuly lives in Florida and shares not just the high-tech bits of being a veterinarian, she also shares tips, tricks, and bits from her own life.

Anyway, today’s post was about Hershey’s Cocoa Shell Mulch. Made from cocoa bean shells, the mulch is sold in gardening stores. It is a good concept in sustainability by using a by-product that otherwise would be filling a landfill. As with all other chocolate products, it contains Theobromine, the lethal ingredient that kills dogs. But the bag says it is not lethal to dogs that eat it. Tell that to the Labrador Retriever that just died in Florida.

More breaking news on dog-toxic Cocoa Mulch chips

…Just as surely as drinking a gallon of deep, dark hot chocolate would, “Cocoa Mulch” killed a local Lab mix named Calypso this past weekend. Calypso’s owners had purchased the mulch at their neighborhood Target. Advertised to help keep cats at bay, they must’ve thought it seemed like a good deal. A tragic mistake.

In case you’re wondering, Cocoa Mulch is a by-product of the chocolate industry. Hershey’s markets the husks of spent cocoa beans as mulch, claiming the following with respect to pet safety:

“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.”

As the owner of a dog who will eat anything, I thought it prudent to tell others about this product.