Bubble bath, anybody? Nah, they paw. A shower, perhaps? Woof, they wag their tails and off they go, skidding straight into the mud and slush, their tongues slurping in a stream of rain drops. They may hate their well-drawn baths, but give them a rainy day, and your pet will merrily drown himself in pools and puddles. Let him, but once he’s out, you need to give him a much-needed rain check. “Make that before the rains begin,” advises vet Dr CB Singh. “Rains bring with it a host of skin diseases for pet dogs. These can vary from simple dermatitis, to bacterial and most prominent, the fungal,” he notes, and suggests to keep your dog off the grass. “The moisture can play havoc, and once the rains are over, these are breeding grounds for bacteria. Make sure that whenever you give your dog a bath or he gets wet in the rain, he’s quickly dried off with a towel,” tells Dr Singh.

From water woes to tick list, pets are most vulnerable to tick borne diseases in this weather. “Ticks are vectors, and they transmit the disease. The symptoms are usually high fever, and one should get their pet’s blood tested immediately,” cautions Dr Singh, as he moves on to another monsoon malady - worms. According to him, de-worming should be regular and accurate. “You just can’t get a tablet over the counter, you have to administer the dose as per the dog’s weight, age and breed,” he adds.

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