Entries by Bronwyn Hayes

Eating Dog Poo

July 9, 2021 in , /by

You’ve taken your dog for a walk, you’ve just finished telling the neighbour how well behaved he is and all of a sudden you catch him eating dog poo. Ugh! What could possess him to do this? Coprophagia (the technical term for faeces eating) is unpleasant but not uncommon behaviour among dogs. The good news is that eating faeces won’t generally hurt your dog. The bad news you already know; it’s disgusting, messy and leads to the worst bad breath imaginable. There’s also the risk of acquiring parasites if your dog eats faeces from other animals. Curiosity No one is […]

Dogs can now sit with passengers on a SA airline. But your dog needs to be tiny

June 23, 2021 in , /by

LIFT has launched a dog-friendly booking option which allows passengers to travel with their dogs in the aircraft’s cabin. This exemption was previously only offered to authorised service dogs and most of South Africa’s airlines still require pets to be booked as cargo. Dogs flying on LIFT will, however, need to be small enough to fit under the seat. And will be confined to a carrier bag, with restrictions on the pet’s in-flight movement. For more articles, go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za. Passengers will now be able to fly with their dogs aboard South Africa’s newest airline, LIFT, which took to the skies […]

SPCA calls for information regarding abandoned animals

June 23, 2021 in , /by

Cape Town – The Cape of Good Hope SPCA is seeking the public’s assistance with information that can lead to a successful prosecution of a perpetrator, believed to have been responsible for dumping a variety of animals in Brackenfell last week. Twelve guinea pigs, five rabbits and two chickens were found dumped at Wessel Lourens Dam, in Vredekloof, and were found by a member of the public, who reported the matter to the SPCA. SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abrahams said four of the rabbits were found hunched up and petrified in one of the dog kennels (at the entrance of the […]

‘Fairy tails’ come true: Netflix show finds forever homes for SA shelter dogs

June 22, 2021 in , /by

The 13-part South African series ‘A Dog for Life’ will see the show’s ‘ideator’ match shelter dogs with their forever homes around Cape Town. This isn’t your average matchmaking show, in fact, you won’t find any mismatches, cringing blind dates or awkward conversation starters here, only tears of joy, heart-warming moments, and laugh out loud encounters. This is A Dog for Life, a 13-part South African docu-reality series sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition which will air on Netflix from 15 June 2021. ABOUT ‘A DOG FOR LIFE’ “A Dog for Life is a show about the extraordinary, very tangible bond between […]

Pet tummy trouble – what to do

June 17, 2021 in , /by

There are few things worse than your pet having an upset tummy. Dr Guy Fyvie, Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s veterinary adviser, says that excess gas and changes in your pet’s poop can be very distressing for pet parents. “Just like us, cats and dogs need a balanced gut microbiome and when this is out of sync it can lead to a troubled digestive system and a very unhappy pet.” An ‘upset tummy’, which may include vomiting, diarrhoea, flatulence, weight loss or constipation, are all common signs that your pet may not be feeling well. A visit to your vet will help […]

Protein alternatives for pets – what’s the big woof?

June 2, 2021 in , /by

By Tilana Mare, Nutritional Development Manager at Montego Pet Nutrition Pets are like people in more ways than we realise. They love a meal that’s full of flavour and benefit greatly from food made with quality ingredients, and they, too, can be allergic or intolerant to certain ingredients in their food, which is where protein alternatives in their food becomes essential. How do I know my pet is allergic to certain foods? Vomiting, diarrhoea and itchy skin are just some of the concerning symptoms to look out for in both cats and dogs. More specifically, dogs may land up with […]

Emergency help needed for flooded Khayelitsha pet shelter

June 1, 2021 in , /by

A Khayelitsha animal clinic’s homeless dog shelter flooded in last week’s rainstorm. The Mdzananda Animal Clinic reports that their organisation is in desperate need of assistance. Homeless dogs needed to be moved to their small hospital cages during the flood as they had no other space for them. “It’s only the start of winter and the pets are already struggling,” says Marcelle du Plessis, Fundraising and Communication Manager. “Just last week we found a 10-year-old dog wondering the streets in the rain. His feet were worn down and his joints painful from arthritis. He had no hair on his back […]

Cape Town wants you to register most – but not all – of your pets, by law

May 17, 2021 in , /by

Though often unheeded, Cape Town has had compulsory registration of dogs and horses in place since 2011. Cats, and some other small animals, could now be included. Just where that line is draw remains to be seen. For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za. Although this may be news to most Capetonian pet owners, a Cape Town bylaw has required the registration of dogs and horses for nearly 10 years. Now the days of special rules applying to cats and other small animal owners could be coming to an end, if a proposed animal-keeping policy becomes law. The policy isn’t specific about […]

The importance of cat’s play

May 14, 2021 in , /by

Our furry felines get a bad rap for being lazy, sleeping the day away, and generally turning their noses up at most things. This is thanks to the likes of famous kitties like Garfield and Grumpy Cat. And while many cats are quite content to sit on a windowsill all day long, taking naps and watching the world go by, this doesn’t mean cats don’t need or enjoy playing games. “What many pet parents don’t realise is that when it comes to cats, play isn’t just about fun and games. For cats in the wild, the act of play is […]

Cape Flats cat owners warned of rise in incurable Feline Leukaemia Virus

May 13, 2021 in , /by

THE Animal Welfare Society of SA has issued a warning to cat owners that they have noticed a worrying rise in the number of unvaccinated cats testing positive for Feline Leukaemia Virus. The organisation said that Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) is one of the leading causes of death in cats and over the past few weeks they’ve noticed the increase of cases on the Cape Flats. “There is sadly no cure for FeLV, but this can be preventable. FeLV only affects cats and cannot be transmitted to people, dogs, or other animals. “It is passed from one cat to another […]