India鈥檚 once-reliable monsoon is now disruptive. Unpredictable rainfall patterns (intense storms followed by dry spells or abrupt shifts in timing) are affecting animal health and reproduction. From pets to aquatic species, this shift is creating challenges, endangering biodiversity and animal welfare across the country.Animal Health at RiskUnusually wet and unsanitary conditions during prolonged or heavy rains foster illness among domestic animals. Moisture fluctuations and water contamination worsen these problems, sometimes leading to serious outcomes.Dr Riddhi Mahesh Sonigra, a veterinary surgeon at the Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital, says, 鈥淢onsoons are associated with decreased immunity and an increase in infectivity. Erratic monsoons increase the window of infection and severity of infection for gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses, as well as skin ailments, in domestic animals such as dogs, cats, and cattle.鈥漇he adds that veterinarians are seeing more cases of diseases like feline panleukopenia virus and canine parvovirus in puppies and kittens, presenting as vomiting, diarrhoea, high fever, and anorexia. Cases of protozoal infections such as giardiasis and helminthic infestations, respiratory conditions such as kennel cough in dogs and feline upper respiratory infections (including herpesvirus and calicivirus), and dermatological conditions like malassezia dermatitis, pyoderma, and flea allergy dermatitis are showing high incidence too, according to Dr Sonigra.All Is Not WellAnimal welfare goes beyond treating illness; it includes the stress faced by caregivers and pressure on veterinary systems.Dr Kiran Ahuja, senior manager of vegan and corporate projects at PETA India, says, 鈥淭he effects of a warming climate on dogs, cats and other domesticated animals are many. They include heat stress, conditions that favour ticks and mosquitoes, the consumption of water contaminated by pathogens, the potential effect of inhaling mould, and skin issues like ringworm and yeast infections.鈥滵r Sonigra warns that besides direct health impacts, extended periods of humidity and waterlogging lead to more frequent and prolonged outbreaks of diseases. She says, 鈥淭raditional seasonal disease patterns are becoming unreliable, while fluctuating environmental stress is weakening animals鈥 immune responses, reducing vaccineefficacy, and increasing susceptibility to opportunistic infections. All these lead to poor health of animals, more expenditure on veterinary care and a loss of productivity amongst farm animals.鈥滱quatic Life & AmphibiansAmphibians and fish rely on stable water systems for breeding. Sudden dry spells dry up pools before eggs hatch; flash floods destroy habitats or wash away young. Amphibians, with their sensitive skin, and fish, dependent on specific flow conditions, are especially vulnerable.Hrushitaa Murali, environmentalist and researcher, says, 鈥淪everal fish and amphibian species contribute to more than the food webs they engage with. Some fish species are known to keep otherwise dying corals alive by residing in or near them and providing the much-needed seabed vegetation to prevent their gradual decay and death.鈥漇he adds, 鈥淟esser frog and toad populations can easily lead to a decrease in reptile populations due to starvation and can also lead to the overpopulation of insects and rodents in the process, as not enough species populations are around to regulate their populations through the interlinked food webs.鈥漅educed breeding success among these species disrupts food webs and harms agricultural pest control and predator populations.Dr Anish Andheria, president of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, says, 鈥淓arly rains can prematurely trigger breeding in frogs and salamanders, causing them to emerge from aestivation. While millions of eggs are laid, they require consistent moisture for successful development. The erratic nature of current weather patterns often leads to mass desiccation of these eggs, sometimes wiping out entire generations. Given the crucial role frogs play in the food web, their decline has cascading effects on the populations of several other species.鈥滾ooking AheadThe erratic monsoon reveals deep links between climate, animal health, and ecosystem stability. India鈥檚 biodiversity and rural livelihoods are at stake. A coordinated approach, scientific research, policy change, and grassroots action are vital.Murali says, 鈥淧rojects like the extension of the Coastal Road in Mumbai are targeted at destroying the ecology of areas rich in naturally occurring mangrove plantations in the city. These measures and the intended deforestation of mangroves will only lead to more disturbed patterns in flood regulation in the city and endanger the marine species populations further.鈥滱ccording to her, the first step is a coordinated response among the people. She says, 鈥淪igned petition campaigns and in-person confrontations with the decision-makers are the first steps towards making real,…