New Delhi, May 13 -- The first rain always feels like relief. For your pet, it often marks the start of a season where small issues quietly build into bigger problems. Most of what goes wrong in the monsoon is predictable. The mistake is waiting for it to happen before making changes.

A couple of years ago, a Labrador came in with what the family thought was a sudden weakness in the back legs. It had started a day after the first heavy showers. On closer questioning, I found the dog had slipped twice on balcony tiles. This was not a neurological problem but a preventable painful soft tissue injury. The frustrating part is how often we see versions of this every year.

Monsoon care is less about treating disease and more about preparing y...