It's spring! And as people tidy up their properties, the odor of fresh mulch can be found all over the Hill. Many of our neighbors are partial to using cocoa bean mulch in their landscaping. It looks good, it smells good (especially on hot days!). Unfortunately it also smells good to our dogs and that can be dangerous to them.
We all know chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Cocoa bean mulch is - as the name entails - the shell of actual cocoa beans. If your dog eats enough of it, he can get sick. He could develop signs that resemble chocolate poisoning - like vomiting and diarrhea, or worse if he ingests alot of it.
Many of our dogs love to chew on or even eat mulch, sticks, etc. (some eat much worse!). If your dogs tends to pick things up as you walk around the neighborhood, please be aware when you pass a property that uses cocoa bean mulch. Steer clear of the cocoa!
And if you're thinking of using cocoa bean mulch on your own property and you have a dog who spends any unsupervised time on that property, please think again.
Better safe than sorry.
