Pet monsoon guide: Can pets play in rain?

Monsoon is advancing in parts of India, and pet parents are certainly relieved as the monsoon showers begin and heat recedes. But, in this season, special care is needed as your pets can fall prey to various water-borne diseases.

Here are a few answers to questions pet parents frequently ask.

A lot of veterinarians' advise against walking your dogs in heavy rain. Sometimes, lightning and thunder can scare them and they might run off in a panic. Rather stick to shorter bathroom breaks. There is no harm in allowing your dogs to get wet in rain, as some pooches enjoy water baths and they would definitely enjoy the rain. You can stick to your balcony rather than leaving them in your building compound or terrace. Also, in this season you have to constantly keep a track of your pet's movements as they should not consume water from a puddle or anything that is contaminated which might affect their health, Devanshi Shah, Founder & CEO, PetKonnect told IANSlife.

Dr Amruta Parulkar, Surgeon and Physician at Happy Tails Veterinary Specialty says, "If your pet has gotten wet in the rain, firstly you should give them a plain water bath. Luke-warm water is better to reduce the drop in the body temperature due to the weather. Then, use a towel to dry their paws and fur. Because of the outside temperature being low they can contact infections easily. Long haired breeds should be groomed to see whether all the dirt is rinsed from their fur. Dirt clots of fur can increase the risk of skin allergies. Their paws should be thoroughly washed and dried as they contain sweat glands through which the passage of the infection will be quicker."

Keep them away from stagnant water or puddles. There are germs which can latch onto your pooch's fur and make their coat a breeding playground. Make your canines wear a dog raincoat and boots to protect their fur and paws from getting drenched in water. Keep the walks shorter. Keep them on a shorter leash so that even if they panic because of the thunder noise, they cannot run away. Avoid the walks when it's raining heavily with thunder and lightning.

Dr Amruta Parulkar, Surgeon and Physician at Happy Tails Veterinary Specialty says, "It is best to feed your pets a balanced nutritional diet. Majority of the pet parents feed their pooches packaged food which is at a higher risk of contamination during this season. See that the packaged food is fresh and does not have any food-borne bacteria in it. Consumption of such food can cause severe food poisoning. An ideal option would be freshly cooked food during this season, to avoid stale or packaged food. Prepare the food in smaller quantities. Do not keep the food out uncovered for more than 15 minutes as the moisture can spoil it".