Heat, ticks and monsoon care for dogs and cats

Heat and heatstroke

Cornell’s Riney Canine Health Center calls heatstroke a medical emergency that needs intensive care. Dogs at higher risk include flat-faced breeds such as pugs and bulldogs, older and overweight dogs, dogs with thick or dark coats, and dogs with breathing or heart problems.

Signs to watch for in dogs

• Heavy panting and drooling
• Vomiting or bloody diarrhoea
• Weakness, confusion or seizures
• Collapse

What to do

Start cooling the dog straight away by wetting it with cool water, and get to a veterinary hospital, with the car’s air-conditioning running on the way.

Prevention

• Never leave a dog alone in a parked car.
• Avoid strenuous exercise in hot, humid weather.
• Walk early in the morning or late in the evening, not in the hottest part of the day.
• Give shade and plenty of chances to drink.
• Stay indoors during extreme heat and humidity.

Source: Cornell: heatstroke in dogs. Checked 26 October 2026.

Cats in the heat

Cornell’s Feline Health Center lists weakness or collapse, excessive panting, drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea as signs of heatstroke in cats, and warns it can become life-threatening very quickly. Move the cat to a cool, airy spot, gently wet the fur with cool (not very cold) water, and call your vet immediately. To prevent it: fresh water at all times, shade, a cooling mat or a wrapped ice pack to lie on, and keeping cats indoors in a cooled room during extreme heat.

Source: Cornell: feline heat safety. Checked 26 October 2026.

Our rule of thumb for roads and terraces: rest the back of your hand on the surface for a few seconds. If it is uncomfortable for you, it is too hot for paws.

Ticks

TroCCAP’s ectoparasite guidelines describe the brown dog tick as the most common tick on dogs in the tropics, able to complete more than one generation a year. Ticks can cause skin damage and blood loss, and they can carry infections such as Ehrlichia canis, Babesia vogeli and Hepatozoon. The guidelines advise protecting dogs and cats in the tropics from external parasites throughout the year, and note that even dogs that live mostly indoors can pick up ticks in parks or at grooming parlours.

Daily check

Run your hands and a fine comb over your pet, paying attention to the places ticks prefer: the ears, armpits, groin, around the eyes and between the toes.

Removing a tick

1. Wear gloves if you can.
2. Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool, and grasp the tick close to where it is attached to the skin.
3. Pull it out with steady traction and check you removed the whole tick.
4. Drop the tick into a small jar of alcohol (spirit) and close it, then wash your hands.

For heavy infestations, which can mean hundreds of ticks, TroCCAP says manual removal may not be practical and a fast-acting product from your vet is needed.

Sources: TroCCAP tick and flea guidelines (tropics); Cornell: ticks and cats. Checked 26 October 2026.

Cats need cat-safe products

Some concentrated pyrethroid and amidine tick products are toxic to cats. Cornell advises using no topical product or tick collar on a cat without your vet’s specific recommendation. Contact your vet if a pet has a fever, low energy, pale gums or stops eating.

Sources: TroCCAP tick and flea guidelines (tropics); Cornell: ticks and cats. Checked 26 October 2026.

Monsoon care

Leptospirosis and floodwater

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection spread through the urine of infected animals, including rodents and dogs. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the bacteria can survive in water or soil for weeks to months, and that risk often rises after floods, when urine in soil washes into floodwater and puddles. People can be infected too.

In India, the National Centre for Disease Control runs a Programme for Prevention and Control of Leptospirosis, which covers 181 districts in 12 states and 2 union territories, as of 26 October 2026 (coverage after NCDC’s FY 2022–23 expansion), and issues pre-monsoon advisories to states. WSAVA treats leptospirosis vaccine as core for dogs where the disease is endemic and suitable vaccines are available, so ask your vet whether it is advised where you live.

Sources: CDC: about leptospirosis; NCDC leptospirosis programme; WSAVA vaccination guidelines 2024. Checked 26 October 2026.

Rainy-season habits we suggest

• Steer dogs away from drinking from, or wading through, puddles and floodwater.
• Wash and dry paws after walks, including between the toes, and dry the coat with a towel.
• Keep up daily tick checks: the monsoon is not a break from ticks.
• Store dry food sealed and off damp floors; throw away food that smells off or shows mould.
• Wash your hands after cleaning up after your pet.

Thunderstorms, crackers and loud celebrations

Some dogs react fearfully to loud, high-pitched or unusual sounds. Cornell suggests a crate the dog already likes as a safe spot during stressful events, positive training rather than punishment, and a vet visit, rather than over-the-counter remedies, if your dog is anxious. Before Diwali, wedding season or a storm forecast, set up a quiet room, keep doors and gates shut, and make sure the ID tag is on.

Source: Cornell: anxious behaviour in dogs. Checked 26 October 2026.