BLog
Get To Know Dr Adriaan Adank from Hayfields Veterinary Hospital
Thinking back, I never imagined how being a vet would take me on a journey of both miles and mindset. After qualifying from Onderstepoort in 2010, I soon realised that academic knowledge had merely given me a license to learn through daily experiences. After a brief stint in the UK with my veterinary nurse girlfriend at the time – now my wife – I returned home to sunshine and blue
Dr Mac, a promise kept
Dr John “Mac” McMullen arrived in Cape Town on his way to America. Fifty years later, the young Irish veterinarian who promised not to let one small welfare society down is still here, and thousands of animals and families are better for it. There are some people whose lives seem to be shaped by a single, dramatic decision. For Dr John McMullen, known simply and affectionately as Dr Mac, it
Why Dogs Keep Doing “Naughty” Things (And It’s Probably Not What You Think!)
BY TRACY MCQUARRIE One of the biggest misconceptions about dog behaviour is that dogs do things because they’re being stubborn, dominant or “naughty.” The truth is much simpler. Dogs repeat behaviours that work for them. Every single day, our dogs are learning from the consequences of their actions. If a behaviour gets them something they value, whether that’s attention, food, access to something exciting or simply making something unpleasant go
Following the Footsteps – The trails we inherit
BY ZANI KOEN As my dog, Soda, and I follow yet another set of markers on a trail we’ve never been on, my brain starts wandering down the road of the people that cut this path. Someone decided the route. Someone painted markers every so many steps for kilometers upon kilometers. I will almost certainly never know who any of them were. And yet every hike Soda and I have
More Good Years Together: Helping Our Dogs Age Well
BY TANRI DE LANGE – SAVC Registered Veterinary Physiotherapist There is something incredibly special about growing old alongside our dogs. The grey hairs around their muzzle, familiar routines and quiet companionship are reminders of the years we have shared. While we cannot stop our dogs from ageing, we can influence how they age. Supporting mobility, strength and comfort can help our older companions continue doing the things they love and
Top Tips For Making Sure Your Pets are Looked After When You Are No Longer Around
BY BRYONY VAN NIEKERK When it comes to estate planning, we all know to make provisions for our assets; houses, cars, inheritance for the kids, but what about our pets? Pets are often overlooked when people draw up their wills, leaving loved ones to suddenly figure out what happens to the animals whose entire world has just been turned upside down. And perhaps that isn’t surprising. One of the hardest
Fascinating Facts – The Grey Wolf
THE GREY WOLF’S SCIENTIFIC NAME IS CANIS LUPUS, AND IT BELONGS TO THE CANIDAE FAMILY ALONGSIDE DOMESTIC DOGS, FOXES AND OTHERCANIDS The Grey Wolf is the largest living member of the canine family, although its size varies considerably between populations. GREY WOLVES HISTORICALLY OCCUPIED ONE OF THE LARGEST NATURAL RANGES OF ANY TERRESTRIAL MAMMAL, SPANING HUGE AREAS OF EUROPE, ASIA AND NORTH AMERICA Grey Wolves are remarkably adaptable and have
PURINA FELIX® Now Available at selected PnP’s
New Delicious Wet Cat Food Range for Cats and Kittens Launches in SA South Africa – FELIX®, the wet cat food brand from Nestlé Purina, has arrived in South Africa with a new range of 85g Singles pouches for cats and kittens. Officially launched in July 2026, the new offering is now available at selected Pick n Pay outlets. According to Euromonitor International, wet cat food is driving growth in
PETS NEEDS A BREAK – Overberg
Paws in the Overberg: Julie Berkman- Fluckiger’s Guide to Stanford BY BRIAN BERKMAN Julie Berkman-Fluckiger sniffs out a remarkable stay at a fire-restored Stanford home – Die Kuierhuis – and reports back. My humans call it a road trip. I call it the greatest olfactory adventure of my life. When Brian Berkman and JP Fluckiger loaded the car and pointed it east along the coastal road, twenty minutes beyond Hermanus
Get to Know Brian Bergman From Mdzananda Animal Clinic
“Behind every healthy pet is a caring vet with a heart full of compassion.” I’ve been a veterinarian for 29 years. If you hadtold me during my first four years in practicethat I would still be here today, let alone deeplyin love with my job I probably wouldn’t havebelieved you. Fresh out of university, I was released into theworld with a head full of medical knowledge butcompletely unprepared for the
Michelle Weedman on warmth & welfare
On a beautiful afternoon at Klein Kaap Boutique Hotel in Centurion, a group of rescue puppies stole the show. They tumbled across the lawns, explored every corner they could findand eagerly soaked up the attention of everyone around them. In front of Emma O’Brien’s camera, they looked carefree and full of possibility, exactly as puppies should. Yet, each one carried a story. Some had arrived unwanted. Some had been abandoned.
The Updated Home: Creating a Supportive Space for your Dog
Your pets spend majority of their lives at home, soit is important to ensure their home environment issupportive. By making small changes to their everydayliving, you can protect and preserve your dog’swellbeing and improve their joint health. As veterinaryphysiotherapists, we identify things in homes that are notsupporting your dog’s joints or overall well-being By Megan Klaasen Here are some major tips we usually recommend: Step It Up! Did you know?
Fascinating Facts – African Driver Ant
THE AFRICAN DRIVER ANT BELONGS TO THE GENUS DORYLUS, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS GROUPS OF ANTS IN AFRICA. THE AFRICAN DRIVER ANT BELONGS TO THE GENUS DORYLUS, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS GROUPS OF ANTS IN AFRICA. Driver ants are part of the animal kingdom Animalia. They belong to the phylum Arthropoda, which includes insects, spiders, and crustaceans. Their class is Insecta, meaning they are true insects with six
The heart of a home in motion
By: Jenni Davies Every home has a heartbeat. For Marié de Klerk, that heartbeat has a glossy caramel coat, four paws, and enough energy to power the whole dorp. Nine-year-old Zoey, a Hungarian Vizsla from Kimberley, greets Marié with a wide smile every morning and dances like popcorn whenever she returns home. Whether Zoey is welcoming clients at the veterinary clinic where Marié works, swimming laps in a farm dam,
Recipes Winter Issue 2026
. . . RAINBOW WELCOME ROLLS Ingredients:12 spring roll rice paper wrappers½ cup mint leaves½ small pack Thai basil leaves4 spring onions (cut in half then cut lengthways into strips)1 courgette / baby marrow peeled lengthways, halved and cut into thin strips (or use julienne peeler)1 large carrot (halved and cut into thin strips or use julienne peeler)½ mango (cut into strips)1 red chilli (deseeded and cut into thin strips)50g
Heart & Home
There is something incredibly special about the relationship between humans and their pets. Long before science confirmed the emotional and psychological benefits of companion animals, people already understood it in their hearts: pets make life better. BY TRACY MCQUARRIE A house may provide shelter, but it is often a pet that transforms it into a home. The gentle sound of paws following you from room to room. The excited greeting
Recipes (April / May 2026)
Spring Sprout & Marrow Soup Ingredients: 450g baby marrow, chopped1 onion, roughly chopped2 celery sticks, roughly chopped1 carrot, roughly chopped4 Tbsp butter3 Tbsp flour3 cups vegetable stock or waterSalt and pepper to taste*optional * ½ cup vegan cream or canned coconut milk Instructions: Chop the vegetables. Melt butter in a stockpot and sauté the onion, celery, carrot until shiny and aromatic. Sprinkle in the flour and stir it around to
Trails To Thrive
Inspiring pet-friendly destinations where every trail walked together tells a story of growth CEDERBERG MOUNTAINS Rugged, dramatic, and beautifully untamed, the Cederberg Mountains are a paradise for adventurous pet owners. With wide-open spaces, fresh mountain air, and scenic hiking trails, it’s the perfect destination for dogs who love to explore as much as their humans do. Many self-catering cottages and farm stays in the area welcome well-behaved pets, offering fenced
Fascinating Honey Badger Facts
Fascinating Honey badger (Mellivora capensis) The honey badger (Mellivora capensis) is the only surviving species in the genus Mellivora and the subfamily Mellivorinae. The species name “capensis” originates from the Cape of Good Hope, where early specimens were first documented. Up to sixteen sub-species were historically proposed based on variable colouration and size. Honey badgers are genetically closer to weasels and martens than to true badgers. They belong to the
Growing Together
By: Jenni Davies Our furry family members don’t all enter our lives at the same stage. We welcome some as roly-poly babies or gangly juveniles; others as fully fledged adults or frosty-faced seniors. Wherever the journey begins, our lives together are a story of constant growth and development. One thing’s for sure: every stage of life brings different needs. And the care we give them now helps shape their futures
Get To Know Dr Adriaan Adank from Hayfields Veterinary Hospital
Thinking back, I never imagined how being a vet would take me on a journey of both miles and mindset. After qualifying from Onderstepoort in
Dr Mac, a promise kept
Dr John “Mac” McMullen arrived in Cape Town on his way to America. Fifty years later, the young Irish veterinarian who promised not to let
Why Dogs Keep Doing “Naughty” Things (And It’s Probably Not What You Think!)
BY TRACY MCQUARRIE One of the biggest misconceptions about dog behaviour is that dogs do things because they’re being stubborn, dominant or “naughty.” The truth
Following the Footsteps – The trails we inherit
BY ZANI KOEN As my dog, Soda, and I follow yet another set of markers on a trail we’ve never been on, my brain starts
More Good Years Together: Helping Our Dogs Age Well
BY TANRI DE LANGE – SAVC Registered Veterinary Physiotherapist There is something incredibly special about growing old alongside our dogs. The grey hairs around their
Top Tips For Making Sure Your Pets are Looked After When You Are No Longer Around
BY BRYONY VAN NIEKERK When it comes to estate planning, we all know to make provisions for our assets; houses, cars, inheritance for the kids,
Fascinating Facts – The Grey Wolf
THE GREY WOLF’S SCIENTIFIC NAME IS CANIS LUPUS, AND IT BELONGS TO THE CANIDAE FAMILY ALONGSIDE DOMESTIC DOGS, FOXES AND OTHERCANIDS The Grey Wolf is
PURINA FELIX® Now Available at selected PnP’s
New Delicious Wet Cat Food Range for Cats and Kittens Launches in SA South Africa – FELIX®, the wet cat food brand from Nestlé Purina,
PETS NEEDS A BREAK – Overberg
Paws in the Overberg: Julie Berkman- Fluckiger’s Guide to Stanford BY BRIAN BERKMAN Julie Berkman-Fluckiger sniffs out a remarkable stay at a fire-restored Stanford home
Get to Know Brian Bergman From Mdzananda Animal Clinic
“Behind every healthy pet is a caring vet with a heart full of compassion.” I’ve been a veterinarian for 29 years. If you hadtold me
Michelle Weedman on warmth & welfare
On a beautiful afternoon at Klein Kaap Boutique Hotel in Centurion, a group of rescue puppies stole the show. They tumbled across the lawns, explored
The Updated Home: Creating a Supportive Space for your Dog
Your pets spend majority of their lives at home, soit is important to ensure their home environment issupportive. By making small changes to their everydayliving,
Fascinating Facts – African Driver Ant
THE AFRICAN DRIVER ANT BELONGS TO THE GENUS DORYLUS, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS GROUPS OF ANTS IN AFRICA. THE AFRICAN DRIVER ANT BELONGS TO
The heart of a home in motion
By: Jenni Davies Every home has a heartbeat. For Marié de Klerk, that heartbeat has a glossy caramel coat, four paws, and enough energy to
Recipes Winter Issue 2026
. . . RAINBOW WELCOME ROLLS Ingredients:12 spring roll rice paper wrappers½ cup mint leaves½ small pack Thai basil leaves4 spring onions (cut in half
Heart & Home
There is something incredibly special about the relationship between humans and their pets. Long before science confirmed the emotional and psychological benefits of companion animals,
Recipes (April / May 2026)
Spring Sprout & Marrow Soup Ingredients: 450g baby marrow, chopped1 onion, roughly chopped2 celery sticks, roughly chopped1 carrot, roughly chopped4 Tbsp butter3 Tbsp flour3 cups
Trails To Thrive
Inspiring pet-friendly destinations where every trail walked together tells a story of growth CEDERBERG MOUNTAINS Rugged, dramatic, and beautifully untamed, the Cederberg Mountains are a
Fascinating Honey Badger Facts
Fascinating Honey badger (Mellivora capensis) The honey badger (Mellivora capensis) is the only surviving species in the genus Mellivora and the subfamily Mellivorinae. The species
Growing Together
By: Jenni Davies Our furry family members don’t all enter our lives at the same stage. We welcome some as roly-poly babies or gangly juveniles;