Cocoa mulch is a common form of mulch that the avid gardener or backyard enthusiast may use to help keep moisture in the soil, to decrease the number of weeds from growing and to regulate soil temperature. However, it's important that dog owners take note of the possibility that mulch made from cocoa could prove deadly to dogs.
The Effect of Cocoa on Dogs
The reason why there is concern that cocoa mulch could be deadly to dogs is because chocolate and other cocoa products can be deadly to dogs as well. Chocolate contains a high level of caffeine, which is unhealthy for dogs, and also contains the chemical theobromine. Theobromine is harmless to most humans but a dog's body cannot digest it. When chocolate is eaten in small amounts, the dog may vomit, become hyperactive or experience diarrhea. In large or consistent amounts, the cocoa may damage the dog's nervous system and heart muscle. The dog may experience a seizure, hyperthermia and muscle tremors that may lead to a coma or death.
How Much Cocoa Is in Mulch
Cocoa mulch does not have the same chemical make up as a bar of chocolate, but it nevertheless contains an excessive amount of caffeine and theobromine. Dogs can become sick after ingesting as little as two ounces of the mulch, and depending on the size and breed of the dog, may die after ingesting about nine ounces.
Because the dog owner may put out a lot of this mulch when covering the garden or yard—essentially having this cocoa product at an easy access point for a dog—in some ways it can prove more toxic to a dog than a chocolate bar lying around the home.
The Mulch's Attractiveness
Owners worried about their dogs accessing cocoa mulch can at least take comfort that as many as nine out of ten dogs will actually show no interest in eating the mulch even when the mulch is at an accessible level. The curious dog, the dog who has become accustomed to the taste of chocolate (which is highly discouraged, as even though sometimes eating chocolate causes only sickness in the dog, it's still damaging) or the dog who likes to eat virtually anything may go for the mulch, though. Owners of these types of dogs may simply want to make sure that the dog is always supervised when outdoors. If the owner is able to stop the dog before he's eaten very much, the dog should get a little sick but not experience a great health risk.
Preferring to Stay Safe
Not many dogs have died from ingesting cocoa mulch simply because they're not attracted to it, but the fact is, that at least one nationally reported case indicates that a dog has died from eating this mulch. Owners who would rather be safe than sorry may choose to forgo the cocoa variety of mulch and its attractive smell in favor of a more pet-safe variety, such as untreated cedar.