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Secondhand Smoke Harms Pets

posted by Melissa Breyer Apr 14, 2009 2:03 pm
Secondhand Smoke Harms Pets
40 comments

By Melissa Breyer, Senior Editor, Healthy & Green Living

Did you know that smoking in your home can kill your indoor pets? Dogs, cats and birds have shown to be affected. Research from Colorado State University has found that secondhand tobacco smoke has a clear effect on dogs and their chance of disease. One study shows that the more members of a household who smoke, the higher their dogs’ risk of developing certain kinds of cancer. It’s such a direct connection that dogs with long noses are at an even greater risk of developing certain nasal and sinus cancer, as they expose more tissue to the carcinogens when they inhale. Short and medium-nosed dogs are more susceptible to lung cancer, as the carcinogens more quickly pass the nose and settle in the lungs.

Likewise, a study done at Tufts College of Veterinary Medicine found that cats exposed to secondhand smoke have an increased chance of developing a type of oral cancer that smoker’s often fall victim to–squamous cell carcinoma. It is suspected that because of the grooming behavior of cats, they expose the mucous membranes of their mouth to the cancer-causing chemicals. Cats living with smokers are also twice as likely to develop malignant lymphoma, a cancer that occurs in the lymph nodes and that is fatal to three out of four cats within 12 months of developing it.

Anyone with a pet bird knows to avoid using Teflon-coated pans because of birds’ sensitive respiratory systems–so it’s no surprise that birds are also at risk for lung cancer, as well as pneumonia, from secondhand smoke.

Of the 5,000 chemicals identified in tobacco smoke, public health authorities have classified between 45 and 70 of those chemicals (including carcinogens, irritants and other toxins) as potentially causing the harmful effects of tobacco use. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 126 million Americans who don’t smoke are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes, vehicles, workplaces, and public places. This exposure causes thousands of lung cancer and heart disease deaths among nonsmokers every year, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency. Now, we can add pets to this sad set of statistics.

More on General Health (246 articles available)
More from Melissa Breyer (497 articles available)

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Mehmet B.


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Morgaine G.

Unfortunately, smoking is the whipping boy for a lazy medical community. If you have a carbunckle on your butt and you smoke, that must be the reason. Doctors miss obvious diagnosis's all the time because they just chalk things up to smoking. While I don't advocate anyone starting to smoke, the truth is, there was an expose years ago in Forbes magazine, which I should have kept and framed, showing that second hand smoke research was actually financed by drug companies so they could reap the profits from medications sold to quit smoking.

Second hand smoke is annoying, and it smells bad, but anything more than that is imaginary. What I dont' understand is that 99% of cancers have genetic markers that are in your blood at birth. A blood test on an infant could tell them they were prone to a certain type of cancer and they could avoid things that increase their likelihood of getting it. People with cancer in their make-up could avoid breeding and cancer could be eliminated, just like many genetic diseases.

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Vural K.

thanks...you...
Kabin
Konteyner

Vural K.


Kabin
Konteyner

Ilia T.

@ Danielle Bince : I haven't personally noticed cat's having problems with cannabis smoke. I have quite a few friends who have cats and have been smoking it for a long time. Their cats seem perfectly healthy. (I'm no expert, but it's just what I've noticed with my friend's cats. I may be wrong)

For me, I prefer to go outside to smoke. One, it lets me sit out and enjoy nature. Two, it keeps the smoke away from my pets. If I'm smoking in the house though, I make sure they aren't in the room, the room's closed off to them and I try to block off any way for smoke to get to the side of the house they are on. I know I'm far from the best pet owner (and I'm working on changing that) but there are little things can be done to help.

Danielle Bince

What about cannabis smoke?

David H.

and jerilyn c do you know for a fact the dog came from a smokers home? cause let me tell you something honey, you can get lung cancer my dear even if you have never smoked a cigarette in your life. just because the dog died of lung cancer dose not mean he was around smokers. guess there was a reason he was at the shelter.

David H.

thats a bunch of bull, i use to be a long time smoker. i quit a year and a half ago. i got a kitten when i was 21 yrs old in 91, named her tinker. she passed away in 2006. animals have better immune systems than humans and thats a known fact so who ever does these tests with out actually testing on the animal itself mind you needs to test again. because this is so stupid sounding its funny.

Johnny F.

I love my grandmother an all, but I hate being near her because she always smells of tobacco. If I'm outside near a smoker I try to hold my breath and get as far away as possible. But what I can't stand at all is when they pet my bird! Their tobaccofull hands touching my birds beak?! I try to get them off of my bird while I can. Luckily, she tries but never bit anyone who smokes.
Also, I have an uncle&aunt who do not smoke but has parties and smoke wafts throught the entire backyard. I go crazy. What's worse it their puppy who loves the outoors but runs around socializing at bad times, and the poor thing... I hope she'll be okay.
I wish smoking could be banned... selfish people who want to keep the buisness alive...

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