31 May 2010 is this year‚Äôs World Health Organization (WHO) World No Tobacco Day.  This year, the organisation has selected Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women as the theme.  While much is often said about the dangers of direct smoking and the harmful effects of second-hand smoke exposure to humans, there is also evidence that dogs, cats, and other pets are also adversely affected.

 

There are a number of ways in which cigarettes and passive smoking can be harmful to your pet.  These include:

 

• By ingestion of cigarette or cigar butts which contain toxins
• By drinking water that contains cigar or cigarette butts (which can have high concentrations of nicotine)
• By breathing second-hand smoke
• By ingestion of nicotine replacement gum and patches.

 

Passive smoking pets can experience various symptoms and conditions. Any of the following illnesses and side effects could be a result of your pets engaging with passive smoke and cigarettes.

 

• Breathing problems in dogs and asthmatic-like symptoms in cats
• Salivation
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Cardiac abnormalities
• Respiratory difficulties and respiratory paralysis
• Feline lymphoma in cats
• Lung cancer in dogs
• Nasal cancer in dogs
• Death - 1-5 cigarettes or 1-3 cigars can be fatal if ingested.

Responsible pet owners should take the following preventative measures to safeguard their pets and their health against smokers:

 

• As in the case of children and others in the home, don‚Äôt smoke
• If you must smoke take it outside- Don‚Äôt expose others to your smoke
• Don‚Äôt allow others to smoke around your pets
• Keep ashtrays clean- Don‚Äôt leave butts in them for pets to find
• Dispose of nicotine gum and patches in receptacles that can‚Äôt be accessed by pets
• Consider quitting - The health effects of your smoking on pets are just one more good reason to quit.

Did you know?

• Dogs that inhale second-hand smoke are three times more likely to develop lung or nasal cancer than dogs living in smoke-free homes.
• Dogs can experience allergic reactions to second-hand smoke.  Common symptoms of this allergic reaction are the scratching, biting, and chewing of their skin. Owners often confuse this reaction with fleas or food allergies.
• Birds can react badly to second-hand smoke and may develop eye problems, as well as other respiratory problems like coughing and wheezing.
• Birds that sit on a smoker‚Äôs hand can experience contact dermatitis from the nicotine that remains on the smoker‚Äôs hand. This can cause them to pull out their feathers.
• Cats exposed to second-hand smoke in the home have a higher rate of an oral cancer called squamous cell carcinoma, which may be due to the way cats groom themselves. When cats groom themselves they eat the poisons from second-hand smoke that have settled on their fur.
• Cats exposed to second-hand smoke have a higher rate of feline lymphoma, a deadly form of cancer, than cats not exposed to second-hand smoke.
• There are 4,000 chemicals in second-hand smoke, and 43 are known to cause cancer.

Tobacco use could kill one billion people during this century, recognizing the importance of reducing tobacco use, would save many lives.  However, you should be as kind to any pet you might have in your home, as you would be to another human being.

 

People should really love their pets.  Be courteous to your pets when you smoke and make sure the room is well ventilated or smoke outside where no smoke at all can reach them. Your pet will be healthier and happier and you will likely save money on veterinarian bills and get to have your pet around a lot longer.