Smoking could harm your pets
If smoking is bad for you and everyone else around you, it stands to reason then that your pets will also be affected every time you light up a cigarette. It seems, though, that researchers have not come to a conclusion on this one yet.
Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemical compounds of which 43 are carcinogens. Recent studies conducted at Colorado State University have shown that these chemicals have the same effects on dogs as they have on humans, that is,
they increase your pet's risk of heart disease, lung cancer and other cancers. The studies have shown that the more people smoke in a household, the higher their dog's risk of developing certain kinds of cancer. The study also found that .
dogs with long noses are at an even greater risk of developing certain nasal and sinus cancers, because they expose more tissue to the carcinogens when they inhale..
Another study, conducted by Tufts University, found that .
cats that are exposed to second-hand smoke have an increased chance of developing a type of oral cancer commonly found in smokers. It is believed that the carcinogens found in smoke settle on the fur of cats and then get into their mouths when they groom themselves..
If cancer is not enough to worry about, some researchers also believe that.
your pet could develop respiratory infections, lung inflammation and asthma .because of second-hand smoke.
On the other hand though, Philip Kass, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of California, believes that there is not enough evidence yet to suggest that second-hand smoke causes health problems in pets. While he is not sure whether pet owners must worry about cancer, he suggests that they should take precautions anyway. This includes smoking outside the house and keeping ashtrays, nicotine gum, chewing tobacco and cigarette buts out of your pet's reach as they can cause nicotine poisoning. If your pet gets hold of any of these, you should contact your veterinarian immediately as your pet's stomach may need to be pumped. Best of all, why not quit smoking all together?
H. Perold
Sources:
www.healthypet.com
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Smoking isn't just harmful to children, but to pets as well. I guess you could say it is another form of animal cruelty. And more so than dogs, cats end up dying earlier in their life because of it. When people smoke in their house, poisonous chemicals are spread everywhere including the kitchen, on furniture, and even your bed; all places where animals roam..
But cats clean themselves more than dogs do, and transmit this harmful chemicals throughout their body, mainly their stomach. Just recently, government studies have found out why more and more cats have been dying from stomach cancer.. And the truth is alarming.
http://www.thebluestate.com/article09-16-02smoking.htm
http://www.anmlangls.org/smokers.htm
http://www.secondhandsmokesyou.com/news ... umbian.php