PetWise Market Blog

A WARNING FOR DOG OWNERS about gardening mulch that’s growing in popularity. Cocoa mulch is the waste shell from the extraction of chocolate from the cocoa beans. Dogs seem to be drawn to the freshly laid mulch. But, as with chocolate, these shells are toxic to dogs. If ingested in large quantities, it can result in severe sickness and death.  Some cocoa mulch companies, like Hershey’s, contain warnings. But many companies don’t have any warnings listed on their bags.

The chemical that’s in chocolate and in these shells is called theobromine. It’s similar to caffeine and is toxic to dogs. Cats, too, should not eat chocolate but many are finicky and won’t touch it.

You can read more about the toxicity and ill effects of chocolate on pets here. And you can watch one of the sad stories here.