Kirby's Korner

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from all of us at Dioji!  We are excited to announce that on December 6th, Santa Paws is coming to Dioji!  Bring your four legged friend and kids and get their photo with Santa Paws!  Photo packages start at $15 and all proceeds go to DAWG so we hope to see you on Dec 6th from 1-4pm.

As a reminder, we are open 365 days a year and our holiday hours are:

December 24th:  7am-4pm
December 25th:  10am – 4pm
December 31st:  7am-4pm
January 1st:  10am – 4pm

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday!

Kirby Wendel

VP of Quality Control
Owners Jeannie & Bryce's yellow lab

December Birthdays

Abbie	Alex	Allegra
Austin	Bailey C.	Bailey V.
Baker	Bali	Barkley
Baron	Baxter	Bella H.
Bella L.	Bentley	Bester
Blue	Bonnie	Bonny
Buddy D.	Buddy H.	Buddy H.
Buddy L.	Bukie	Casper
Cassie	Charlie	Cheyenne
Comet	Cooper	Cuper
Daisy P.	Daisy S.	Dale
Deja	Dexter	Diesel
Eleanor	Ellie	Flossie
Gaucho	Geddy	Gracie
Gus	Jack	Jake
Jasper	Jet	Jill
Joe	Ka'ena	Kansas
Kassie	Katie	Keelo
Kelsey	Kimi	Kobe
Kona	Kylie	Lambeau
Lewis	Lily G. T.	Lily J.
Lily S.	Lola C.	Lola M.
Lulu	Luther	Mac
Maddie	Mailey	Malka
Martini	Mattie K.	Mattie S.
Max	Molly	Moo
Murphy	Napolean	Mozzarella
Noel	Nutmeg	Olive K.
Olive M.	Oreo	Otis
Ozzie	Paddington	Pearl
Ramsey	Reily	Ridley
Riley P.	Riley R.	Riley T.
Riley V.	Rockafellar	Rocket
Rome	Rosco	Roscoe
Roxy	Ruben	Ruca
Sage	Sam-I-Am	Samantha
Sasha	Scarlet	Shasha
ShuShu	Skeeter	Sophie
Stella	Sunny	Ted
Timber	Titus	Todo
Tracer	Truman	Tundra
Wyatt	Zion	Zoey
Lucas	Seargent	Sparky
Finn	Daisy	Bailey H.
Goldie	Cody	Caden
MJ	Heartley	WIlson
Riley L.	Misty	Barclay
Kali	Max	Kramer
Orion

Product of the Month

Delicious Edible Items

The above coupon is good on all brands of food, treats and chews that we carry!

Don’t see y our favorite food or treat listed? Please let us know!

Ask the Expert

Chocolate Toxicity In Dogs

Dr. Eileen Gillen – Emergency Veterinarian – CARE Hospital

Chocolate is readily available, especially during holiday times and presents a potentially lethal toxin for dogs. Many species are susceptible, but dogs, being more curious are more commonly affected. Excessive chocolate ingestion was cited as one of the top 20 most common toxicities in dogs seen in veterinary clinics in one report. Cocoa bean hulls or waste used as bedding for livestock or landscape have also been reported as a source of toxicosis as well.

Theobromine is found in chocolate, cocoa beans, baker’s chocolate, cola and tea. This is believed to be the toxic component of chocolate. Baking chocolate is the most concentrated form of theobromine containing about 390mg/oz versus 44mg/oz in milk chocolate. It’s readily absorbed orally and very widely distributed throughout the body. Theobromine is metabolized by the liver and ultimately excreted in the urine. Theobromine lasts a long time in circulation -- about 17 hours in dogs. This again may explain canine sensitivity.

Theobromine stimulates the central nervous system, heart and skeletal muscle. It also promotes urination. Acutely, affected dogs may show: restless behavior, hyperactivity, vomiting, diarrhea, heart arrhythmias, muscle tremors, lack of coordination, seizures up to and including coma.

Generally, historical evidence of chocolate consumption and symptoms compatible with chocolate ingestion are what we rely on for diagnosis. There is no specific antidote for chocolate/theobromine toxicity. Veterinarians use a combination of induced vomiting and detoxification as well as supportive treatment and monitoring. Induced vomiting should be done within 2-3 hours of ingestion. Activated charcoal is also used to bind any potential chocolate not yet absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Supportive therapy includes intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration and to speed excretion out of the urinary tract. Muscle relaxants to control seizures or tremors may also be necessary and are important in severe cases. PLEASE NOTE: these treatments are best provided by people with appropriate veterinary training, none of these are home treatments.

The toxic dose of theobromine in dogs is 100-150mg/kg

	A kilogram =2.2 pounds
	A milligram =1/1000 of a gram

So for a 50 pound dog a toxic dose would be roughly 2.2 grams (2200 mg) of pure chocolate.

Realize that the concentration of theobromine varies with the intensity of the chocolate so:

	Milk chocolate has 44mg/oz (154mg/100gm): toxic dose for a 50 pound dog - 50 oz milk chocolate
	Semisweet chocolate has 150mg/oz (528mg/100gm): toxic dose for 50 pound dog - 15 oz semisweet chocolate
	Baking chocolate has 390mg/oz (1365mg/100gm): toxic dose for 50 pound dog - 5 oz baking chocolate.

So you can see the more concentrated the chocolate, the smaller amount needed for toxicity to occur.

The best solution is always prevention. Please inform your friends and neighbors of the danger of exposing their dogs (or any pet) to chocolate containing foods, especially during the upcoming holiday season and put the chocolate in a dog-proof place.

Inside the Club

December 6th, 1-4pm
Santa Paws is coming to Dioji!

Come to Dioji with your whole family (dogs and kids welcome) for a photo op with Santa Paws!  Photo packages start at $15 and all proceeds go to DAWG.

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Saturday, January 9th, 9:00am
Dioji Puppy II Training Class

A six week course begins for dogs 5 months of age or younger!

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Sunday, January 31st, 9:30am
Dioji Puppy II Training Class

A six week course begins for dogs who have either completed our Puppy I class and would like to continue learning or for puppies 4-7 months new to training.

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Sunday, January 31st, 10:45am
Dioji Adult Basic Obedience Class

New six week course begins for dogs over 7 months of age who have either never had a training class or could just use a refresher.

Call to sign up for any of our classes or for more information click here.

Outside the Club

January 9th, 10am-4pm
Dog Days at El Capitan Canyon

C.A.R.E.4Paws and El Capitan Canyon will host a one-of-a-kind doggie retreat Jan. 8-10, 2010. For the first time, the ranch will open its doors to dog owners and their pooches for a weekend retreat featuring dog training, flyball and agility demos, doggie spa services, pet portraits, and more. A variety of vendors will showcase their products and services. Local shelters and rescue groups will bring dogs available for adoption. http://www.care4paws.org/images/dogretreat.pdf

Barkimonial

Hello, my name is Corrie and I am a 2-year old white, female English Lab. My owner says that since I have been going to Dioji that I am "The World's Greatest Doggie..." You see, at Dioji I can run and play and swim with all the other doggies, so when I get home I have all that out of my system and I can concentrate on being cute and cuddly and loving (which are all things that make me "The World's Greatest Doggie"). In addition, since Dioji picks me up and delivers me back home every day, my owner does not have to go through any trouble; Dioji does all the work for him! Some days, I run and play and have so much fun at Dioji that by the time my owner gets home, he says that I am more of a Dog Rug then a dog, because I go right to sleep after my nightly walk and dream about all the fun I had during the day, running and playing and swimming at Dioji!

- Corrie (aka "The World's Greatest Doggie")

Dioji Family

Each month we would like to introduce one of our valuable team members to you so you can get to know the Dioji staff even better.

Who
Amber Lynch

Position at Dioji
Dog Associate

Hometown
Santa Cruz, CA

Pets of your own
A beagle, Roo, 2 German Shorthairs, Gus and Copper, and Goose the Black and Tan Coonhound. 3 Horses, Maverick, Honey and Clara. Too many cows and chickens to name!

Something people may not know about you
I have a fantasy football team and I'm doing REALLY good this year! (Thanks to Peyton Manning, Go Colts!)!

Favorite or Funniest Dioji Moment
Seeing Dargan sitting on her butt with her legs straight out, watching Ajax put himself on time out, whenever a butterfly comes into the yard and the dogs run into things trying to catch it, there really is never a dull moment!

Favorite activity with the dogs
Whenever I sit down on the turf in the yard and ALL the dogs come running to say hi and give kisses and end up mauling me. Now I know how celebrities feel about paparazzi.

Did you Know?

Raw carrots are a great snack for your dog.  

They are rich in beta-carotene, low in calories and they have anti-cancer properties.  They also help keep teeth clean by rubbing off plaque as your dog crunches away.  Best of all, most dogs love them!

Refer a Member

Have a friend join Dioji during the month of December and receive a FREE Holiday Treat! Just have your friend tell us you sent them - your dog will love you for it.