Cocoa Mulch and Foxtails

Please read about Sugar Free Gum:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/xylitol.asp
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Cocoa Mulch*~*~Beware
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.

**thanks to Christy for the heads up
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*~After dry spring, foxtails making animals miserable‏
You can read this story in its entirety on the web at:http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1064154.html

**thanks Debbi