Stop Smoking For Your Health and Your Pets Health

https://www.avma.org (American Veterinary Medical Association) You don’t need us to tell you the harm that smoking can do to your body, or the risks posed to children and others from secondhand smoke. But perhaps you’re unaware of the harm it can be doing to your pets. Because pets share our environments, they also share our environmental exposures – including tobacco smoke.1,2 Dogs living in homes with smokers have significantly higher levels of cotinine (a breakdown product of nicotine) in their blood, indicating exposure to nicotine through secondhand smoke.3 A 1998 study found that environmental exposure to tobacco smoke resulted in an increased risk of cancer of the nasal cavity and sinuses of dogs, particularly those with longer snouts (such as collies, greyhounds and many other popular breeds); and the more packs the smoker smoked, the higher the dog’s risk of cancer.4 This is likely because their longer nasal passages accumulate the cancer-causing toxins. A 1992 study found that dogs with short- and medium-length noses were more than twice as likely to develop lung cancer if a smoker lived in the home,5 most likely because shorter-length nasal passages don’t accumulate the cancer-causing toxins, allowing them to enter the dog’s lungs instead. Pet cats living in smoking households are more than twice as likely to develop malignant lymphoma (a type of cancer) compared to cats in nonsmoking households. The risk increased with the duration and amount of exposure, and cats with five or more years of exposure to secondhand smoke were more than three times as likely to develop malignant lymphoma.6 Have you ever had anyone tell you that your clothes smell like smoke? Well, it’s not the just the smell that can linger – it’s the potential toxins, too. If you smell smoke on your pet, consider the toxins that may be on your pet’s fur. Chances are, they’re ingesting them when they lick the toxins off during grooming. Birds’ respiratory systems are particularly susceptible to airborne contaminants. Significantly higher concentrations of cotinine were found in the blood of birds living in smoking households compared to birds living in nonsmoking households.7 Birds with exposure to secondhand smoke can develop pneumonia, lung cancer, and problems with their eyes, skin, heart and fertility. Smoking outside the home reduces the concentration of environmental tobacco smoke in the house, but doesn’t eliminate it. A 2005 study found that environmental tobacco levels in homes of smokers who smoked outdoors were still five to seven times higher than in households of nonsmokers.8 And it’s not just the secondhand smoke that poses a risk for your pets: discarded cigarette butts or other tobacco products left within reach of pets can cause gastrointestinal problems or even nicotine toxicity if your pet finds and eats them. Listen to our podcast: Kick the Habit, for You and Your Pets If you smoke, please consider quitting – if not for your health, then for your family’s health and your pets’ health. Looking for inspiration or resources to help you make the commitment to quit? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have great resources for you and the American Cancer Society also provides resource and sponsors the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November. READ MORE

Smoking and Pets is a Harmful Mix

Article from: Free At Last Hypnosis

Smoking and pets equals a bad combination as second hand smoke can cause as much damage to animals as it can to children.
Next time you light up and your sweet pooch looks at you with those adorable puppy dog eyes what are you going to say as he coughs and sputters from the effects of your cigarette? The second hand smoke you are exposing him to could be lethal. The same can be said when you smoke around the sweet kitten you just brought home that you decided to name Emily.
Have I got you thinking or what?
So much is said about how dangerous smoking can be for those who engage in it. As well there is plenty of research that documents how harmful second hand smoke can be for your children or anyone who is exposed to it. There is now evidence that shows that smoking can do harm to cats, dogs and any other types of pets you may have brought into your home and fallen in love with. Their bodies are not immune to the dangers of cigarette smoke. Smoking and pets don’t mix!
Here is the “how” of why smoking can harm your pets:
• Pets can ingest the butts of cigarettes or cigars which contain a variety of toxins (remember that animals are like small children- they are curious about everything, especially anything they find on the floor!)
• If any cigarette butts have found their way into your cat or dog’s drinking water then your pet is drinking a high concentration of nicotine
• Pets breath in second hand smoke just like people do
• Sometimes pets get a hold of nicotine patches or gum and consume it
Health Effects of Smoking on Animals
Here are some of the health effects that have been noted in pets. This is not an exhaustive list by any means:
• Breathing problems and irregularities in dogs
• Symptoms in cats that are very asthma-like in nature
• Diarrhea
• Salivation
• Heart abnormalities
• Vomiting
• Feline lymphoma (cats)
• Lung cancer and nasal cancer in dogs
• Respiratory paralysis
Please note that if a cat or dog ingests anywhere from one to five cigarettes or from one-third to one cigar, the results can be fatal.
Prevention
How much do you value the life of your pet(s)? Do you love them enough to quit smoking? The number one way to prevent smoking related health hazards in your pets is to not smoke at all. If you do smoke then giving it up could save their lives. This is yet another good reason to butt out.
If you choose to continue to smoke then do so outside, and as far away from your pets as possible. Do not permit anyone to smoke around your pets, either in your home or when outside. Make sure your ashtrays are cleaned out and don’t leave any butts around for the curious four-legged friend in your home to find. If you chew nicotine gum or use the patch dispose of them in such a way that they are not in reach of your pets.
It cannot be emphasized enough- smoking is harmful for pets. If you want your pet to live a long and healthy life then don’t allow smoking to interfere with it. Be kind to your animals!
To read about a study that supports the views expressed here, visit
http://www.freeatlasthypnosis.com/smoking-and-pets-is-a-harmful-mix/
To help your pet and yourself avoid the dangers of smoking quit today with the help of this program!
Becca Scott
Staff Writer
Free At Last Hypnosis