Does smoking affect your pets

[monky]

Emjay put this question on some time ago, and this is what she says !!

Does smoking affect your pets?.......

Asked by EmJay ROY CASTLE 11 May 20124 answersReport

Secondhand smoke and your pets;

Did you know….?

There are over 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke and over 60 of these are known to cause cancer.

Having the choice to frequently leave the house and breathe fresh air may not be something that most of our beloved pets have. They often have little chance to step outside and escape all of these hazardous toxins.

Air pollution is 8 times higher in homes where smoking is permitted.

Secondhand smoke can cause a number of health problems in our beloved pets.

These can include;

• Respiratory infections and asthma

• Oral cancer and lymphoma in cats

• Lung and nasal cancer in dogs

• Lung cancer in birds

Animals don’t just inhale smoke, the smoke particles are also trapped in their fur and ingested when they groom themselves with their tongues.

Dogs

Dogs have a 60% chance of developing lung cancer in smoking households.

Have increased risk of cancer in the nose or sinus area. Long nosed dogs are twice as likely to develop nasal cancer.

Cats

Cats whose owners smoke are three times more likely to develop lymphoma, the most common feline cancer.

If two people living in the house smoke, the cats were four times more likely to contract the cancer.

Birds

Birds that are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop serious problems such as lung cancer as well as other respiratory problems like coughing and wheezing.

Birds cannot filter the air that they breathe in, causing smoke to become trapped which blackens their lungs and can lead to pneumonia and secondary infections.

Tobacco smoke can lead to itching and poor quality feathers. Parrots will often attempt to remove poor feathers by plucking.

What can you do?

Homes should be Smokefree for people and pets. If anyone smokes in the home ask them to go outside. To prevent poisoning, put away cigarettes and butts.

Don’t smoke in other people’s homes

So..... Does smoking affect your pets?.......

It certainly does

The best way of avoiding damage to your pet's health is to not smoke around them - or better still, to give up.

[jillygirl Administrator LONG TERM WINNER]

Thanks for posting this Pete. Now I really do feel guilty as the dog we had although he was 13yrs old died with nasal cancer. Just shows how horrid cigarettes are.