Hartenbos Dierehospitaal / Animal Hospital

04/09/2026

Special Throwback Friday🐶🐱
Let us take you back to 1999...
Back to the beginning...

01/09/2026

24/08/2026

Great news!
Due to popular demand, we decided to extend our dental special to September!
25% off dental prices.
Please phone 044 695 1085 to book an appointment.
T & C's apply.

16/08/2026

George the Southern Elephant seal has been resting in Little Brak River since 15 July 2026.
When he first came ashore, he was in a poor body condition and lethargic. He was tagged by Greg Hofmeyr from Bayworld and vaccinated against rabies by Sr Stefanie.
Hartenbos Animal Hospital responded and after consideration George was given antibiotics to see if his condition improved. Since he was in a secluded area, it was decided to leave him there as we could not determine if he would survive the journey to move him to a quiet beach.
He has been monitored by SMART member, Val Marsh, and veterinary staff from Hartenbos Animal Hospital.

Unfortunetely, George passed away on the 11th of August 2026.
This was a very sad case and we felt like we lost one of our patients after monitoring him for so long and trying our best to treat him.
On Friday our whole veterinary team, including Dr Frans, Dr Cailin, Sr Stefanie and Robert, our pet handler, went to assist Dr Greg Hofmeyr, Mfunda Kanana and members of SMART, Val and Riana, with collecting samples to determine cause of death and for research purposes. He was a very special patient and we learned so much from him.

We would also like to thank Mr John Robertson for his assistance and patience during this whole process.

12/08/2026

“But he’s healthy. Why does he need vaccines?” 🐶💉

Because vaccines aren’t for what your dog has today.

They’re protection against what they could meet tomorrow.

And each vaccine has a different job:

🦠 DAPP — protects against serious diseases including distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus.

💛 Leptospirosis — protects against bacteria that can cause serious kidney and liver disease; and can infect people, too. (p.s see word zoonotic)

🦇 Rabies — protects against a fatal disease that can spread to people.

🐕 Bordetella/respiratory vaccines — may be recommended for dogs who board, go to daycare, get groomed, travel, or spend time around other dogs.

The easiest way I explain vaccines?

They’re practice for the immune system.

We’d rather your dog’s body learn what the enemy looks like before it ever has to fight the real thing.

And no, that doesn’t mean every dog needs every vaccine.

That’s why we ask about their lifestyle, where they go, what they’re exposed to, and what they’ve had before.

Healthy today is exactly what we’re trying to protect. ❤️🐾

📌 Share this with the pet parent who’s ever wondered, “Why does my healthy dog need vaccines?”

Save it for when you need a quick reminder of what the vaccines are for. ❤️

06/08/2026

Remember Bumble, the little honey badger we had the privilege of treating earlier this year?
This is a video update on how he is doing and how far he has come in his rehabilitation journey.

31/07/2026

Baby Pamela update🐧🐧🐧

She is doing really well and now weighs 1030 grams!
She is starting to walk a little bit and is very curious.
She is starting to accept fish in her diet and complains if we don't feed small pieces of fish fast enough🤣.

Our baby is growing up❤️

28/07/2026

Before you judge...
Veterinary hospital edition

All veterinary professionals love what we do and we enjoy assisting and playing a role in your pet's treatment and recovery. Every day brings new challenges, and while we try our best to assist everyone, that can sometimes be difficult.

One of those difficult moments is when we refuse when a client phones because they want over the counter antibiotics for their dog, who has had diarrhea for 3 days, and they do not want to come in for a proper clinical exam and diagnostics to confirm the cause of the diarrhea.
This does not mean that we do not want to assist you, but that we simply cannot according to protocols and laws.

Would your doctor prescribe antibiotics without seeing you?
No, they would not and the same rule applies here.
This counts for many different medications and situations and this is also not the first time this has happened.

It also does not matter if you have been a loyal client for 10 years or more, or if we are seeing you for the first time. Although we admire loyalty and appreciate it, this has no impact on standing rules and legislation.

Clients are rude to and bully veterinary nurses, receptionists and other staff when they refuse, when they are just following the rules.

Therefore we ask clients to always think twice before speaking unkindly to the veterinary staff member you are speaking with. We always strive to help as quickly as possible and will try to assist you to the best of our abilities, so please be patient and be kind.

27/07/2026

22/07/2026

Penguin gender reveal!🐧🐧🐧
This has been confirmed with a blood test.