This comes from the ASPCA website. =



Welcome to ASPCA News Alert, a weekly e-mail newsletter from The
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

PLANNING TO FERTILIZE YOUR LAWN? READ THIS FIRST
How does your garden grow? Not with cocoa bean mulch, please. A
retrospective study just released by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Center (APCC) confirms that this commonly used fertilizer may deter
slugs and snails, but it also attracts companion canines, who can be
poisoned by eating it.

Made from spent cocoa beans used in the production of chocolate, cocoa
bean mulch contains caffeine and theobromine, both of which are toxic to
dogs. Depending on the amount ingested, symptoms range from vomiting and
diarrhea (as exhibited by a 50-pound dog who had eaten about two ounces
of the mulch) to tremors, seizures and death.

The study, which included six cases received and managed by
veterinarians at the APCC between January 2002 and April 2003, was
presented at last month's 2003 North American Congress of Clinical
Toxicology. Comments Dr. Steven Hansen, the APCC's Senior Vice
President, "Since the updated data confirms that dogs can exhibit
certain clinical effects after consuming cocoa bean shell mulch
fertilizer, the ASPCA advises pet owners that they should avoid using
this fertilizer around unsupervised dogs, and dogs with indiscriminate
eating habits."

If you suspect that your dog has ingested this organic fertilizer--or
any other potentially toxic substance--immediately contact your
veterinarian or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 for 24-hour emergency
assistance. For more information on cocoa bean mulch, visit

APCC online.

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J. Kolenovsky, A+, Network +, MCP
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.celestialhabitats.com - business
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal