How to Take Care of Your Dog in the Rainy Season: A Kerala Monsoon Guide

Kerala Tourism describes two rainy seasons: the southwest monsoon, Edavappathy, from June to September, and the northeast monsoon, Thulavarsham, from October to December. The southwest monsoon brings the larger share of the rain, but Trivandrum, at the southern tip of the state, feels Thulavarsham clearly too. For Trivandrum dogs, the wet-weather routine below applies for much of the year.

What changes for a dog during these months:

• •Coats stay damp for hours, and humid air slows drying.
• •Mud, puddles and flooded ground collect around homes, roads and fields.
• •Rats move out of flooded burrows, which raises leptospirosis risk.
• •Ticks remain active; they do not disappear with the rain.
• •Shorter walks leave dogs bored and restless.
• •Thunderstorms and power cuts unsettle noise-sensitive dogs.

The most common monsoon complaint vets hear about is skin: a musty smell, greasy patches, scratching, licking paws and shaking ears. One frequent cause is Malassezia, a yeast that lives harmlessly on the skin in small numbers. A veterinary dermatology referral practice notes that its overgrowth is more common in humid climates and in warm, moist spots such as ear canals, skin folds, armpits and between the toes. The skin turns itchy, scaly and greasy, often with a strong odour.

What helps at home:

• •Dry the coat right down to the skin after every outing, not just the top layer. Thick double coats (Labradors, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Huskies) hold water close to the skin for hours.
• •Dry skin folds on flat-faced breeds such as Pugs and Shih Tzus, and the area under the collar.
• •Dry inside the ear flaps gently with a soft cloth. Do not push cotton buds into the ear canal.
• •Keep long-coated dogs brushed so mats do not trap moisture.

See your vet if your dog has red or broken skin, bald patches, a strong smell, ear discharge, head shaking or constant scratching. The signs overlap with allergies, mites, ringworm and bacterial infection, and a vet can test a skin or ear sample under a microscope. Home remedies usually delay the right treatment.

Paws take the worst of the monsoon. Constantly wet skin between the toes softens, cracks and picks up infection, and mud hides cuts from glass, thorns and sharp stones.

• •Keep a towel and a bucket or jug of clean water by the door.
• •Rinse mud off the feet and lower legs with plain water.
• •Dry each paw, spreading the toes to reach the skin between them.
• •Look for redness, swelling, cuts, a torn nail or a dog that keeps licking one foot.
• •Keep the fur between the pads trimmed short on hairy-footed breeds, so it dries faster.
• •Trim nails regularly; less walking on hard roads means they wear down less.

A limp, a swollen toe or a paw your dog will not let you touch needs a vet visit, not a wait-and-see.

Many owners expect ticks to wash away with the rain. They do not. The Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites (TroCCAP) advises that dogs in the tropics be protected against ticks throughout the year, and recommends regular visual checks and prompt removal of any ticks found. Ticks spread tick fever (babesiosis and ehrlichiosis), which is common in Kerala dogs and can be life-threatening.

Each evening, run your fingers slowly over your dog, paying attention to the places TroCCAP lists as favourite attachment sites:

• •Inside and around the ears.
• •Around the eyes.
• •The armpits.
• •The groin.
• •Between the toes.

Ask your vet which tick prevention suits your dog's age, weight and health, and keep to the schedule through both monsoons. Our tick fever guide explains the warning signs, and the summer tick and flea page covers prevention around the home.

Leptospirosis, called eli-pani (എലിപ്പനി, rat fever) in Malayalam, is the monsoon disease Kerala dog owners most need to know about. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that dogs catch it from the urine of infected animals, or from water and soil contaminated with it, especially slow-moving or still water. Floods carry rat urine into the water dogs walk through. It can damage the kidneys and liver, and it can spread to people.

• •Do not let your dog wade, swim or play in floodwater, flooded paddy fields, canals, drains or roadside puddles.
• •Carry drinking water so your dog is not tempted to drink from puddles.
• •Rinse and dry legs and belly after any walk through mud.
• •Ask your vet about leptospirosis vaccination before the monsoon starts.

If your dog becomes dull, feverish, stops eating, vomits, has yellow gums or eyes, or drinks or urinates much more or much less than usual, especially after contact with floodwater, go to a vet now.

Most healthy adult dogs can walk in light rain. The risks come from what the rain hides and what it brings with it.

• •Go out in the gaps between heavy showers, on routes you know; flooded roads hide open drains, potholes and glass.
• •Stay well away from fallen electric lines, electric posts and wet transformers, and keep your dog away from any water near them.
• •Use a leash, even with a reliable dog. Thunder or a passing vehicle splashing water can send a dog running.
• •Wear something reflective and carry a torch on dark, rainy evenings.
• •Puppies, senior dogs, very small dogs and dogs with thin coats chill faster. Keep their outings brief.
• •When thunder and lightning start, head home and wait it out indoors.

Mental work tires a dog fast, so ten to fifteen minutes of the right game makes up for a missed walk.

• •Sniff and find: hide small treats around one room, then let your dog search. Make it harder as your dog gets better.
• •Scatter feeding: throw a meal of dry food across a clean floor or a towel instead of using a bowl.
• •Food puzzles: put treats in a muffin tray and cover each cup with a ball, or fold kibble into an old towel or a cardboard box.
• •Hide-and-seek: one person holds the dog while another hides, then calls once.
• •Training sessions: five minutes at a time on sit, down, stay, come and leave it, or a new trick.
• •Gentle tug with a rope toy, with a clear rule for letting go.

Avoid repeated stair running and rough jumping games on slippery wet floors, especially for puppies, long-backed breeds and older dogs.

Proper drying does more for monsoon skin than frequent bathing.

• •Towel firmly, rubbing against the direction of the coat to reach the skin, then finish with a fan. A hair dryer on its coolest, lowest setting, held well away from the skin, helps thick coats; never leave a dog alone with a dryer.
• •Bathe only as often as your dog's coat needs, and only on a day when you can dry it completely before evening.
• •Use a dog shampoo. Medicated shampoos are for a vet to recommend.
• •Keep a spare set of bedding, change it when damp, and raise beds off the floor.

Our guide to bathing a dog at home in Kerala walks through the bath step by step, including drying a thick coat in humid weather.

Storms frighten many dogs, and in Kerala they often bring a power cut too.

• •Set up a safe den before the season starts: a covered crate or a quiet corner with bedding, away from windows.
• •Stay calm and close. Comforting a frightened dog is fine; punishing fear makes it worse.
• •Keep doors and gates shut during storms, and make sure your dog wears a collar with your phone number. Frightened dogs bolt.
• •Keep a torch, a full water bowl and a battery or inverter fan ready for long outages in humid heat.
• •Keep your dog away from wet sockets, extension cords and electrical points, and unplug what you can during lightning.
• •If your dog panics badly with every storm, shaking, drooling, hiding or trying to escape, talk to your vet. Severe noise fear can be helped, and it often gets worse without help.

If your dog will board during the rains, ask practical questions about rainy days, not just sunny ones.

• •Where do dogs rest and play when it rains heavily?
• •How are dogs dried after outdoor time, and how often is bedding changed?
• •How are ticks checked during the stay?
• •What vaccinations and parasite prevention does the facility require?

Neolokam is a 1.5-acre cage-free dog farm east of Trivandrum city, towards Kattakada. Before any stay, Neolokam asks for a trial visit and temperament assessment; up-to-date rabies and core vaccinations with the record; current tick and parasite prevention as advised by your vet; and dogs must be comfortable around other dogs. Three Malayali staff look after the dogs, with 24/7 human care and daily photo or video updates for owners. The monsoon boarding page has the details, and you can ask the team about rainy-day routines on +91 77363 90719.

Screenshot this and keep it on your phone for both monsoons.

• •Before June and again before October: vet check, tick prevention up to date, ask about leptospirosis vaccination.
• •After every outing: rinse muddy legs, dry coat to the skin, dry between toes and inside ear flaps.
• •Every evening: tick check of ears, eyes, armpits, groin and toes.
• •Every week: wash bedding, check ears for smell or discharge, trim paw fur and nails as needed.
• •On walks: leash on, no puddles or floodwater, carry drinking water, avoid fallen wires.
• •On rainy days: ten to fifteen minutes of sniffing or training games.
• •At home: dog food sealed, bowls in at night, standing water drained.
• •Storm kit: safe den, torch, water, collar with your phone number.
• •Go to a vet now for: fever, weakness, refusal to eat, vomiting, yellow gums or eyes, very little or no urine, bleeding, pale gums, or a dog that collapses.