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Many pet owners are aware that chocolate should not be given to pets, and is particularly dangerous for dogs. But would it even cross their minds to question the safety of using cocoa mulch in the garden?
Pure chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which are both compounds called methylxanthines. They are hazardous to pets, causing seizures in severe cases. According to snopes.com, cocoa mulch has one of the highest concentrations of theobromine found.
It actually smells like chocolate, and is attractive to dogs. Reportedly most dogs will not actually eat it though. Cats are at lower risk mainly because they are even less likely to eat the mulch than dogs.
One study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association confirmed that a dog died due to ingestion of a substantial amount of cocoa mulch. And in the Journal of Agriculturaland Food Chemistry, a scientist reports on the potential use of theobromine and caffeine for "controlling" (that is, killing) pest coyotes. Coyotes being close relatives to dogs, this should cause concern for anyone considering using cocoa mulch in an area their pets have access to.
For information about treatment options for an animal that consumes cocoa mulch, check out this ASPCA article. If you suspect your pet has ingested cocoa mulch, call your vet or an emergency animal clinic, or contact an animal poison control center. Note that it may be a few hours or even a few days before symptoms appear.
To learn what you can to instead of using cocoa mulch, read this article about other types of mulch for your garden.
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