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| Dog on the lawn |
New Forest District Council’s dog warden Neil Burton has warned gardeners that a certain type of mulch could be dangerous to their dogs.
Cocoa mulch is a by product of the chocolate industry and contains a naturally occurring alkaloid found in the cocoa bean called theobromine.
This causes vomiting and restlessness in dogs in small doses and in large doses can be lethal. The mulch smells like chocolate and could entice dogs to eat it.
Chocolate, and especially dark chocolate and baking chocolate, is dangerous to dogs and should never be given as a treat. Although cats are rarely poisoned by chocolate owners should also avoid giving it to them.
The issue has come to light after reports of dog deaths in the USA. Dog wardens across Hampshire and the IOW are warning owners to keep their dogs away from cocoa mulch and to make sure they are never allowed to eat it.
Dog owners are also mounting a campaign to make sure that the threat to animals is clearly signposted on cocoa mulch products. Hershey’s, one US manufacturer, includes information on the risk to dogs on its website but not on all its products.
“Thankfully most dogs will not eat this product but it is possible that some dogs could be attracted to cocoa mulch and could suffer as a result,” said Cllr Maureen Holding, NFDC’s portfolio holder for health and social inclusion.
“Any gardeners who own pets should think carefully about this risk when choosing products.”
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