How you might accidently poison your pet using this mulch

[J Kolenovsky]

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 [phone] for 24-hour emergency assistance. For more information on cocoa bean mulch, visit

APCC online.

[dr-solo]

6 dogs, mom used cocoa bean mulch none of the dogs ever ate it and we had one that looooved chocolate. IMHO cocoa bean is a waste of money it gets moldy fast, breaks down fast if it doesnt blow away. Ingrid

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List

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[J Kolenovsky]

I was never sold on cocoa bean mulch from the beginning.

Got a cat that eats fruitcake and drinks mocha frappucino.

JK

[e-mail] wrote:

[lvhippy]

Statement on slavery and chocolate production

Because of the way the chocolate industry buys its cocoa it is not possible to ensure that slave or other forms of illegal exploitation have not been used in its production. To change this companies need either to purchase direct from plantations where they can ensure the growers implement core international labour standards, particularly those banning forced labour and illegal child labour. If they continue to purchase via the international cocoa exchange or other middlemen they must work with cocoa producing countries, such as Côte d'Ivoire, to ensure that the international labour standards are enforced throughout the countries.

In the absence of industry action, the only way consumers can be confident that the produce they use is free from exploited labour is by buying products which carry a fair trade label.

[Mutant Ninja Froglet]

Oh...............my...................God. Not another crackpot.

[lvhippy]

Yup you mutant piece of human garbage, close your eyes and it doesn't exist!

[animaux]

I've been making the switch over to vegan and for many of the reasons you mention. I suppose now I have a good reason not to eat chocolate. To take it further, I'm starting to make our clothes, as well.

The world is out of hand, crimes are going on with a magnitude we cannot fathom. When I see rugs on television being sold for 300 dollars, and they have millions of hand tyed knots, hand carved, etc...someone has a child labor camp and someone is being harmed.

Fortunately, many, many people in my age bracket 45-50 are coming into this age from growing up in the 60s, where conscience raising was prevalent. There is no way I can buy merchandize any more which I KNOW is being made by either children, or very poor people.

I'll probably be called the kook now, but I really don't much care what people think of these decisions. If I feel like a hypocrite, I have to listen to my own value system, not those of others who have absolutely no self-awareness.

victoria

[szozu]

I understand your motives, but If you won't buy things made by very poor people, how are they supposed to survive? It's usually necessary for the whole family to work just to keep alive. I don't know if you've ever travelled in poor remote areas, such as the Andes, but people there who are lucky enough to have a couple of chickens don't eat the eggs; they sell them so they can buy things like flour which will provide more bulk and fill their stomachs.

Childhood can be viewed as a luxury provided by well-to-do societies. Children have traditionally learned to work alongside their parents as soon as they were able to help.

In a similar vein, I've heard people say that if they were to move to an underdeveloped country, they couldn't imagine hiring a maid, since they feel it would be a demeaning position for the maid; yet in actual fact, they would be resented by the locals, who would view them as "rich" yet not contributing to the economy by providing at least one person with a chance to feed their family.

Lana

[lvhippy]

You are an arrogant presumptuous ass! As usual ypu grab a line and make all kinds of assumptions about a posters life style, awareness, and commitments.

Most "raw food" practicianers eat no meat, no fish, nor ANY animal products. All of our food comes from known sustainable farms where a fair price is paid to the grower. White sugar and processed food is not acceptable nor is cocao.

[Salty Thumb]

"Starlord" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

No kidding about factory work sucking. When I was in high school (1988) we went on this field trip to a factory or assembly plant for kitchen appliances (blenders, egg beaters, etc) right here in southern Virginia. Not a big place at all. I seem to remember being told the pay was good, but hourly, but you should have seen how fast some of the worker's fingers moved ... grab part, twist, drop in bin. Must have had some sort of incentive to keep output high (might have been just keeping the job).

-- ST

[paghat]

Duck indeed. It would take an infantile mind to believe that because it is "raw food" it isn't harvested by the same undocumented & heavily unexploited underclass of itinerant workers, of which I was one from age 4 through 6. Even the smallest organic orchards use such labor. If you think you're living outside the system, all you're really doing is living outside of a credible reasoning ability.

Support unions, not growers & industry-defined categories such as "raw" "organic" or "sustainable." You're just being manipulated by nice slogans, while all farmworker gains from the 1970s & 1980s have been more than whittled away since the 1990s.

-paggers

[J Kolenovsky]

So I guess from the comments that all of the posters have cats. Article stated "canines" are affected. Yea, good reason to have cats. They are cool. They know what a litter box is. (and I am referring to cats that are designated as indoor cats) I don't think I'd like cocoa bean mulch,. It would remind me of chocalate Rice Krispies. =

= J

J Kolenovsky wrote:

[animaux]

I suppose it's a double edge sword. On the one hand, many of the pieceworkers who make virtually nothing to produce what it would cost a lot of money in the states to produce, count on those pennies. It's such a complex issue. Then there's the convenience of Walmart and box stores which are definitely the largest suppliers of goods made by virtual slave labor.

I have no answer, and you have made many good points. It's not easy to discern, I will concede to that.

Victoria