Entries by Bronwyn Hayes

Tricks and Treats for a More Loving Cat

September 17, 2019 in , /by

Whiskas is all about feeding your cat’s curiosity. After all, cats are always investigating their surroundings and looking for adventure. They are independent and full of personality – that’s why we love them. However, we can’t deny that as humans we have to try a little harder to get them to love us back. So, when your feline friends are being extra affectionate you might want to reward them with a Whiskas Crunchy Trio Treat, a delicious nibble from the NEW Whiskas care and treat range. We like to refer to those acts of feline love as “Meow Moments”. Whiskas […]

Annual Penguin Festival in Simon’s Town

September 16, 2019 in , /by

Join us at Seaforth Beach at 10am and then follow on to Simon’s Town School for a fun-filled festival, in celebration of African penguin awareness. SANCCOB’s 17th Annual Penguin Festival in collaboration with the City of Cape Town, Cape Town Environmental Education Trust (CTEET) and South African National Parks (SANParks) kick-starts with a public release of rehabilitated African penguins for all to witness how they waddle back to where they belong. It’s an experience not to be missed as we count down to tip the boxes! This year Kfm’s mascot, Rocket, will also tip a box. From 10h30 the festival […]

Only the Best Treats for Man’s Best Friend

September 12, 2019 in , /by

Dogs are the most loyal, loving and caring companions a human can have. They always do everything they can to make sure we know that they love us. Now, you can let them know just how much you love them with the new range of Pedigree treats. Alongside their Dentastix & Rodeo treat range, Pedigree is excited to introduce their new range of treats: Tasty Bites Chewy Cubes – Puppy and Chewy Cubes which are nutritious, packed with your dog’s favourite flavours. Pedigree celebrates the launch of their newest treat range by providing you with 5 perfect occasions to reward […]

iPhone 11: Apple claims it can help you take better ‘pet-selfies’

September 16, 2019 in , /by

If you are anything like us, your phone’s camera roll is FULL of pictures of your pets… Well, what if you could improve your pet photo shoots even further, highlighting your dog or cat’s best features? Surprisingly, that’s one of the features that Apple has included on its new iPhone! Up until now, a special feature on iPhones to help users take good selfies – “portrait mode” – has only recognised human faces. But according to the tech company, the new iPhone 11, which was unveiled on Tuesday, features a new “pet portrait” mode, which recognises animal features and enhances […]

How old is my pet in dog years or cat years? A veterinarian explains

September 13, 2019 in , , , /by

By Jesse Grady / Mississippi State University “JUST how old do you think my dog is in dog years?” is a question I hear on a regular basis. People love to anthropomorphize pets, attributing human characteristics to them. And most of us want to extend our animal friends’ healthy lives for as long as possible. It may seem like sort of a silly thing to ponder, born out of owners’ love for their pets and the human-animal bond between them. But determining a pet’s “real” age is actually important because it helps veterinarians like me recommend life stage-specific health care for our […]

Microchip reunites pet and owner

September 12, 2019 in , /by

A Dowerglen resident and her dog were reunited by Edenvale SPCA with the assistance of a microchip. The dog, Karma, was brought to the SPCA by a man who found it wandering near Centenary Road on August 13. “When the labrador was first brought to us, we estimated it to be about four years old because it was in a good condition,” said Edenvale SPCA inspector, Jade Nel. “After further assessment and scanning for a microchip, we learnt that the dog was in fact 12 years old. “When the NEWS spoke to Nel, she said the staff were amazed at […]

Asian Otters Gain Protection From The Pet Trade

September 11, 2019 in , /by

By: Erik Hoffner  The smooth-coated otter and the Asian small-clawed otter are now on the CITES list of animals with the highest level of protection from the wildlife trade. Asian small-clawed otters are particularly sought after as domestic pets and for ‘otter cafés,’ where wild otters are forced to interact with paying customers. Conservationists say that a trade ban was vital for the survival of the two species, whose numbers in the wild have fallen by at least 30% in the past 30 years. Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted to place the smooth-coated otter and […]

There May Be Shark In Your Make Up And Pet Food

September 10, 2019 in , /by

By: Melissa Cristina Márquez Do you know what ingredients are in the pet food you are feeding your animals? What about what is in your favorite beauty care products? Chances are one of the ingredients could be a threatened shark species. PhD candidate and Research Assistant at Stony Brook University Diego Cardeñosa tested 87 pet food products and 24 cosmetic products and used a multiplex mini-barcode PCR protocol to identify traces of shark DNA in these beauty care and pet food products in order to identify them to the genus and/or species level. Cardeñosa ended up successfully amplifying 63% of the […]

Horner’s Syndrome in Dogs & Cats – A Unique Eye Condition

September 9, 2019 in , , , , /by

Horner’s Syndrome – What is it? The eyes and surrounding structures have many intricate nerves controlling their functions and movements. Horner’s syndrome results from a dysfunction of the sympathetic nerves that feed the eyes. The sympathetic nervous system is part of the autonomic nervous system, and is often called the “fight or flight” system. When it comes to the eyes, the sympathetic nerves keep: Eyes in the front of the socket Nictitans (3rd eyelid) recessed Upper eyelids fully raised Pupils appropriately open When the sympathetic nerves to the eyes aren’t functioning properly, the above-listed anatomic functions don’t happen. We will review […]

Trump administration to approve pesticide that may harm bees

September 7, 2019 in , /by

The Trump administration is approving the pesticide sulfoxaflor – thought by some experts to harm bees – for use on a wide variety of crops. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the studies it considered, most of which were sponsored by industry, found the chemical is not dangerous for the pollinators responsible for $15bn in US crops each year. Beekeepers in the US lost 40% of their colonies in the past year, raising concerns about the effects of pesticides. But an EPA official, who the agency asked not be named, told reporters that the studies “show that sulfoxaflor disappears from the environment […]