Entries by Bronwyn Hayes

The Difference Between Vomiting and Regurgitation

April 19, 2025 in , , , , , , /by

The Difference Between Vomiting and Regurgitation When you come home to find a mess on the floor, it is easy to assume that the dog vomited. Vomiting is very common in dogs, as they often eat weird things! There are actually many other causes of vomiting, including parasites, kidney disease, liver problems, pancreatitis, and food allergies. Overall, there are probably at least 101 causes of vomiting. When you take your dog to the veterinarian, the doctor will ask questions and determine if the dog is truly vomiting, or if the dog really has regurgitation, because they have different causes. You […]

Pet euthanasia at the SPCA – the difficult choice

April 18, 2025 in , , /by

Pet euthanasia at the SPCA – the difficult choice Euthanasia is one of the most heartbreaking but necessary responsibilities of the Durban & Coast SPCA. No one wants to put a healthy animal to sleep. But the pet overpopulation, coupled with a shortage of good homes, creates a crisis that no shelter – no matter how big or well-funded – can manage indefinitely. The reality of pet overpopulation Every year, thousands of unwanted pets find their way to the SPCA. Some are unwanted, abandoned by owners who can no longer care for them, whether it be due to financial difficulties, […]

Why Do Dogs Show You Their Bum?

April 17, 2025 in , , , , , /by

Why Do Dogs Show You Their Bum? Your dog might sit on your feet, back up into your leg, or spin in excitement until their rear is closest to you. And sometimes, when you expect a happy slurp in greeting, you might get a face full of dog butt instead. A dog’s butt is so much more complex, both physiologically and socially, than a human’s. You probably know that dogs sniff each other’s rear ends to get acquainted, but what else goes on beneath the tail? Why do they turn around and give you their rear instead of their face? […]

Continued Failures at Government-Run Nature Reserves

April 16, 2025 in , , , , /by

Continued Failures at Government-Run Nature Reserves The NSPCA will not give up on the fight for justice for animals who have suffered at the hands of government-run nature reserves. The NSPCA has been at the forefront of the fight with the Nkomazi Local Municipality, pressuring it to improve the management of Marloth Park. Following a blanket interdict in 2017 by a home owner’s association against culling in the park, an increasing overpopulation of wildlife and overgrazing has resulted in illness, starvation and death amongst animals at Marloth Park. In November 2024, the NSPCA made application to the Mpumalanga Division of […]

How To Introduce New Dog Food Quickly And Smoothly

April 15, 2025 in , , , , /by

How To Introduce New Dog Food Quickly And Smoothly Figuring out how to introduce new dog food quickly and smoothly is a problem many dog owners don’t realize they may someday need to tackle. After all, dogs are enthusiastic eaters, right? Most of them are true. However, some dogs can be somewhat obstinate when it comes to diet changes. In those cases, you may need to resort to some tricks and gimmicks to get your dog to eat its new food. Here’s our quick guide on how to go about it. When and How To Introduce New Dog Food To […]

Blood Sweat and Neglect

April 14, 2025 in , , , , , , /by

Blood Sweat and Neglect Sick. Wounded. Forced to Work. Three horses. Three cases of cruelty in only three weeks – And cruelty for hire— is exposed as a grim reality for Cape Town’s working horses. These are their stories. March 5th: Broken, Bleeding, and Still Forced to Work Inspector Jeffrey Mfini spotted a pony in distress on Spine Road, Mitchells Plain. The pony’s fetlocks were bleeding from deep puncture wounds. Crude, ill-fitting tack dug into him and he was still doing his best, still trying even though every step brought him suffering. “We were his only chance,” says Inspector Mfini, […]

The role nutrition plays in managing your pet’s stress and anxiety

April 13, 2025 in , , , , , , , , , , /by

The role nutrition plays in managing your pet’s stress and anxiety Like us, our pets can experience stress, and for some, anxiety is more than an occasional response to loud noises or unfamiliar environments. It can be a chronic issue that affects their overall health and well-being. “Managing your pet’s stress isn’t about environmental changes alone, it’s about supporting them from the inside out too,” says Dr. Guy Fyvie Senior Veterinary Affairs Manager at  Hill’s Pet Nutrition South Africa.  “A well-balanced diet tailored to dogs and cats displaying stress-related symptoms can help maintain stability in dogs’ gastrointestinal microbiome, cats’ urinary […]

Animals Starving as Prisons Cut Costs

April 12, 2025 in , , , , /by

Animals Starving as Prisons Cut Costs The NSPCA has confirmed severe “cost-containment” measures implemented by the Department of Correctional Services, which are directly affecting the feeding of animals kept at the country’s 21 agricultural correctional centres. These animals – including pigs, dairy cattle, poultry, equine used in mounted units, and dogs in the Department’s canine units – are now facing critical food shortages. A meeting was finally secured with both the National and Gauteng Regional Departments on 10 March 2025, following two postponements by the Department. During this meeting, cost-containment measures (or “budget-cuts” in laymen’s terms) were formally acknowledged. The […]

Why Does My Dog Sigh?

April 11, 2025 in , , , , /by

Why Does My Dog Sigh? Have you ever heard a sighing sound while relaxing at home and wondered where it came from? Or perhaps you’ve rounded the kitchen corner and caught your dog sighing? A human sigh could mean contentment, tiredness, relaxation or even disappointment. But do dogs experience that same range of emotions when they sigh? Let’s take a deeper dive to better understand dog sighing: why it happens, what it means and what sounds are similar but different from sighing. What Is Sighing? Sighing is a natural bodily function common to humans and other animals. Wondering what sets […]

City of Cape Town Domestic Animal Survey – Your Questions Answered

April 10, 2025 in , /by

City of Cape Town Domestic Animal Survey – Your Questions Answered The way we treat animals says a lot about the kind of society we are building. The City of Cape Town’s Domestic Animal Survey is a chance for us to create real change—not just for animals, but for the communities they live in. As Alderman JP Smith said at the survey launch in Delft yesterday: “You can tell much about a society by how it treats those that are at its mercy—those who do not have a voice and are vulnerable. If you are seeing a lot of mistreatment […]