A friend from Florida just sent me the following news item about cocoa garden mulch which is supposed to be very harmful to dogs.   Yes, Floridians are using mulch in their gardens while we in the Midwest are still buried in snow and expecting more! I have not checked out the facts myself,  but the following should be considered:

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. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog Calypso decided that 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 website, 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.’
This 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 ‘ The obromine’. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. The obromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker’s chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of the obromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and the ophylline. 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 the obromine.   PLEASE GIVE THIS THE WIDEST DISTRIBUTION!!! 

We have tremendous snow here!  I love this photo of Ch. Dutch Treat ROM, my darling Wendy, looking in through the sliding glass door with Ch. Rattlebridge Dusk ‘Til Dawn, my very handsome and very spoiled Clooney looking out in great comfort while poor Wendy is covered in snow.  (yes, the previous sentence is one sentence and not a run on sentence, trust me!!!) 

My friend Ellie has two of our Cavaliers that she spoils rotten beyond belief!  She warms their couch blankets in the microwave and Jasper crawls into his own little blanket sleeping bag.  I refuse to let my dogs see this picture lest they begin picketing for the same treatment!

Here is another group of happy and beloved Rattlebridge Cavaliers as they enjoy their lives with their adoring owners!!

Here is another group of happy and beloved Rattlebridge Cavaliers as they enjoy their lives with their adoring owners!!

 

We love to feature our Rattlebridge Cavaliers who live in their loving homes with families who adore them.

I thought that these pictures were darling especially the first one!  Go to the following web site to see for yourself!!

 http://ihasahotdog.com/tag/cavalier-king-charles-spaniel/

 

We have lots of snow in Galena, Ohio, but nothing like my friend Roxy Hayes has in Michigan! 

TAKING CARE OF YOUR PET IN WINTER:

Monitor your pet’s outside activities in this weather. Several of the pet catalog’s offer snow booties if you have never seen them, they can be quite useful.  I have used them with my Bandi as he was losing control of his rear legs; they allowed him to grip the floor ever so much better and kept him mobile for quite awhile.

If your Cavalier is not a show dog or is not being shown anymore, you can certainly scissor the long feathering on the front of the foot to keep the hair from being loaded down with ice or snow.  I always trim the hair between the toes on the bottom of the foot so that ice balls do not form and irritate the foot.  Make sure you dry your dog’s feet well when they come in if it is snowy or icy, so that the feet do not stay wet between the toes.

MEETING OUR SNOOP

Al and I have a history of rescuing horses, cats. chickens, Emus who did not share one single brain cell among them, and, of course, dogs usually just to find wonderful homes for them.  However, when this year old black supposed Labrador Retriever needed a home, we agreed to take him for a couple of days until we could place him.  That was over eight years ago and Snoop is my constant and protective companion.  I have his heart and he has mine.  I always say that rescued dogs are grateful; I think that Snoop is grateful.  He never seems to take me for granted like my totally spoiled and often demanding Cavaliers do. He only has two bad habits:  he cleans off counter tops no matter how often he is scolded; in fact, if he isn’t caught, he still slinks away from the kitchen trying hard to avoid me seeing him.  Then there is his habit of seeking and destroying napkins and Kleenex.  I am so sick of finding the chewed remnant bits of tissue around the waste baskets; it is so annoying because he knows better and cannot break his addiction to paper chewing!  He is a grand dog!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, Snoop is no Labrador, but of mixed parentage!  We usually keep him clipped down because his coat is long and very dense.  We always leave this lovely little brush at the end of his tail so he can dust the coffee tables without any harm to his tail.

 

The new Rattlebridge our second winter here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember, once again, to make sure your pets are fine in this weather. If you see any dogs out in the weather or cold without shelter, food, or water, please call the powers that be in your county.  Do not attempt to reach the Humane Society of the United States as this organization is not really a Humane Society and not affiliated with your local Humane Society.  The HSUS does no rescue and has no shelters; in fact it is only a political machine using its donated funds to push its own agenda.  This organization now feels that it will have real power in Washington with the new administration;  however, with its huge budget, it does really nothing to improve the welfare of animals as it pushes its animal rights agenda.  Animal rights and animal welfare are not synonymous. Until next time . . .

This is a heartwarming vignette and perhaps we should all adopt its message:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFz-FMj-9Ps

 

I just wanted to share this lovely sentiment with you.  Please go to the following link and enjoy. Music is great too!

http://home.att.net/~hideaway_today/t125/pet.htm