Landscaping mulch poses canine hazard

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St. Paul Pioneer Press

Cocoa-bean shells tasty to some dogs, but ingestion can be toxic

BY David Hawley
Pioneer Press

Paul Peterson loved the pungent chocolate smell that filled his St. Paul yard after he spread some cocoa mulch in his garden.

Unfortunately, so did his dog. Winnie, a 10-month-old Labrador retriever, had to be rushed to an animal hospital after gobbling up a sizable amount of the mulch made from cocoa-bean shells.

"The vet kept her for 10 hours, but she's OK now, and I've raked up the mulch," Peterson said.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals lists cocoa mulch as one of the most common warm-weather poisons for dogs — along with such ordinary outdoor flowers as lilies, tulips and azaleas.

The toxic ingredient in cocoa shells is a caffeine-like substance called theobromine. Veterinarians say it causes symptoms that include vomiting, diarrhea, tremors and irregular heartbeat.

The reactions can be dramatic. Peterson said Winnie howled, vomited and ran wildly around his and wife Leah's West Side house before he tackled the 60-pound "puppy" and took her to the vet.

"A dog has to eat a lot (of cocoa mulch) to make it toxic," said Andrea Ellings, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine. "But some dogs are inclined to eat first and decide if they like it later."

The university's animal emergency room has seen a fair number of cocoa-mulch poisonings in recent years, Ellings said.

She thinks it reflects the growing popularity of the mulch, which is sold at most gardening stores and places like Home Depot and Menards. Many gardeners like the mulch because it degrades into an organic fertilizer and has an attractive appearance and smell.

Ellings said she has never seen a case where the dog died after eating cocoa mulch.

"There's no question that it can be fatal, but it's rare," she said.

The gravity of the risk from cocoa mulch is a matter of debate. An analysis sponsored by the ASPCA found that cocoa bean shells, a byproduct of chocolate production, contain significantly more theobromine than the part of the cocoa beans used in making chocolate.

The study also found that about half the dogs that eat cocoa mulch suffer some physical harm.

And the vast majority of dogs won't eat it, the study concluded.

Nonetheless, the ASPCA and the American Veterinary Medical Association recommend that dog owners avoid using cocoa mulch if their dogs have "indiscriminate eating habits."

Peterson said Winnie fits that profile.

"Based on how much she threw up, she ate a ton of the stuff," he said. "If it smells good, she'll eat it."