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Urgent Warning CoCoa Mulch Kills
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| Please share this with all the pet owners you know and ask them to do the same - the information you take a few minutes to share might prevent the senseless loss of other pets.
Please tell every dog or cat owner you know.. Even if you don't have a pet, please pass this to those who do.
Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.
Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's web site,
this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats
Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it."
*Snopes site gives the following information:http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp *
Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called 'Theobromine'. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells li ke chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.
Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine. |
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Written by:
Dr Michael Richards. DVM 9/2005
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas caused by leakage of active digestive enzymes into the pancreatic tissue. This causes various clinical signs but most pets affected by acute pancreatitis have abdominal pain, depression and decreased appetite or lack of appetite. Vomiting and diarrhea occur in many dogs with pancreatitis. In severe cases of pancreatitis there may be signs of shock or total collapse. Chronic pancreatitis in dogs may occur, with similar but less severe symptoms. The signs of acute pancreatitis similar to those seen in dogs are not as common in cats and probably account for less than 25% of the cases of pancreatitis among felines. Cats are more likely to have chronic pancreatitis, characterized by a decrease in appetite, lethargy, loss of weight, chronic vomiting and low body temperatures. Cats sometimes have diarrhea or difficulty breathing.
The pancreas has several jobs that it performs for the body. The pancreas produces digestive enzymes that break down food into molecules that can be absorbed from the intestine. Special clusters of cells in the pancreas, the islets of Langerhans, produce insulin. Diabetes occurs when these cells do not function properly or when they no longer function at all.
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Canine Vaccine Controversy
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New Approach to Vaccination of the Canine
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For years, it was believed that annual vaccinations for viral diseases were necessary to keep our beloved companions out of harm's way. But we have recently come to a turning point in vaccination of the canine. While we are grateful for protection from diseases such as distemper and parvovirus, there is growing realization that vaccination is not always benign.
In 1996, a study was published suggesting an association between vaccination and autoimmune disease, specifically autoimmune hemolytic anemia, an often fatal destruction of red blood cells.
(1) This was followed by another study that demonstrated that dogs may develop an autoimmune response after vaccination.(2) In 1998, the American Association of Feline Practitioners responded to the increasing incidence of vaccine-induced fibrosarcomas in cats by changing the recommendation for feline parvovirus vaccination from annually to every three years. These events, coupled with the knowledge that some vaccinations for viral diseases may protect for seven or more years, have caused veterinarians and dog breeders alike to begin to ask, "Are we vaccinating too much?"
Duration of Immunity for Common Vaccines
Studies have shown that, once fully immunized, more than 90% of canines retain immunity to Parvovirus-2 and Adenovirus-2 for more than seven years. (Full immunization may not take place with vaccinations administered prior to 16 weeks, due to interference by maternal antibodies.)immunization to Distemper may last up to 15 years, and immunization to Corona virus probably lasts a lifetime. Immunization to Rabies and influenza lasts about 3 years in about 80-85% of dogs. Note that proven duration of immunity may vary dependent on the type of vaccination used; for instance, modified live parvovirus demonstrated a longer duration of immunity than killed virus; one strain of distemper tested for a longer duration than another.
New recombinant vaccines may be more efficient and produce a longer-lasting immunity.
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