Dog & Cat Tips

What do Halloween candy and mulch have in common?

Some types of both can be deadly to pets!

The problem is “theobromine”. It is present in chocolate and a certain type of mulch called “cocoa mulch”. If you smell cocoa mulch at the garden store you’ll know why—it smells like chocolate. If you have a pet and need to mulch, use a kind other than cocoa mulch.

The chocolate story is much less clear. Size of the pet and type of the chocolate are crucial. As little as one square (one ounce) of baker’s dark chocolate can be fatal to a 10 pound dog. But it would take half of a pound of milk chocolate to poison that same dog. The key is how much theobromine the chocolate contains. Different types of chocolate have varying amounts. The first symptoms of theobromine poisoning include nausea, vomiting, and hyperactivity.

So keep that Halloween candy out of pets’ reach, but if they get into the chocolate, be sure to check with your veterinarian!