Southern View: November 27, 2025

The Star, November 27, 2025
starnews.co.nz
Sunny skies bring out the crowd
Minnie and Mickey Mouse made an appearance.
Brilliant blue skies and warm temperatures
attracted about 45,000 people to the 78th
annual Christchurch Santa Parade on
Sunday. It is the third year the free event has
been held at Canterbury Agricultural Park.
The crowd was kept entertained with $3
fairground rides, food vendors, and craft and
retail stalls, before 45 festive floats paraded
around the 2km-long route. Superheroes,
princesses, TV characters, and marching and
dancing girls were all on show. The loudest
cheer was saved for the big guy in red, Santa
Claus, who will return to Christchurch for
Saturday's Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park
from 7.30pm.
PHOTOS: GEOFF SLOAN
The Joker was all smiles, while Star Wars troopers patrolled.
Flo’s Painkiller Predicament:
A Close Call for a Curious Pup
When Flo, a little Shih Tzu cross, decided to do some
“exploring” at home recently, she managed to get
herself into quite a bit of mischief — and a potentially
life-threatening situation.
Her owners walked into a room and discovered Flo
happily chewing on a packet of ibuprofen she had
managed to pull out of a bag. There had only been
two or three tablets left in the pack, but now only one
remained. Recognising the danger, Flo’s quick-thinking
owners called us at Kōwhai Vet straight away and were
told to bring her in immediately.
When she arrived, Flo was looking bright and bouncy
— completely unaware of the potential trouble she’d
caused. Unfortunately, ibuprofen is highly toxic to
dogs, even in small amounts. In a 4.5kg dog like Flo,
just a couple of tablets can cause serious problems,
including severe stomach ulcers, vomiting, diarrhoea,
and even kidney failure. At higher doses, it can lead to
seizures and coma.
To prevent the ibuprofen from being absorbed, we gave
Flo an injection to make her vomit. Within minutes
she started drooling and looking very sorry for herself,
before producing several very productive piles of vomit.
Our next glamorous task? Sifting through it to look for
pieces of tablet — and sure enough, we found what
looked like the remains of about two tablets.
Thankfully, because her owners acted so quickly, we
were able to prevent any serious damage. Once she’d
finished vomiting, we gave Flo another injection to
settle her stomach and sent her home with medication
to protect her gut.
We’re pleased to report that Flo made a full recovery
and was back to her usual cheeky self in no time!
This story is a good reminder to keep all human
medications safely out of reach of pets. Dogs can be
surprisingly determined when investigating interesting
smells or packaging, and even a small amount of the
wrong medication can have serious consequences.
If you ever suspect your pet has eaten something they
shouldn’t have — don’t wait. Call your vet straight away
for advice. Acting quickly, just like Flo’s owners did, can
make all the difference.
Did you know?
Common Household
Hazards for Pets
Painkillers: Medications like ibuprofen,
paracetamol, and aspirin are safe for people
but can be very dangerous for dogs and cats.
Chocolate: Contains theobromine and
caffeine, which can cause vomiting, heart
problems, and seizures.
Grapes and raisins: Even small amounts can
cause kidney failure in some dogs.
Onions and garlic: Can damage red blood
cells and lead to anaemia.
Xylitol: A common sweetener in sugar-free
gum and foods that can cause a rapid drop in
blood sugar and liver failure in dogs.
Human antidepressants or ADHD
medications: Can cause severe agitation,
tremors, or seizures if ingested.
Keep all medications and potentially toxic foods
well out of reach — pets are curious by nature, and
prevention is always easier (and less messy!) than
treatment.
Consultations • Surgery & Diagnostics • Locally Owned & Operated
122 Opawa Road, Opawa, Christchurch. Ph: 03 337 5445
Visit our website: www.kowhaivet.co.nz
WE ARE OPEN:
Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 6:30pm,
Saturday, 9:00am - 12:00pm