Smoking and Pets - A bad combination

While the health impact of second hand smoke concerning humans is well known and readily available most people either ignore or simply don't know the dangers that tobacco products pose to our pets. 

Animals can be exposed to this in many ways, including; second hand smoke, ingestion of nicotine replacement patches and gum or cigarettes and even drinking water that may contain cigarette butts.

The harmful health effects of being exposed to this is staggering, and includes some of the symptoms that effect humans.  Obvious breathing problems in dogs, and asthma symptoms in cats.  Salivating and diarrhea, vomiting, lung and nasal cancer, respiratory difficulties and respiratory paralysis. 

A puppy can die relatively quickly after eating just two cigarette butts!

Dogs experience allergic reactions to cigarette smoke which causes them to bite and scratch at their skin, owners often confuse this with having fleas.

Cats exposed to secondhand smoke have higher rates of feline lymphoma and oral cancer than cats in smoke free homes.

Birds react very badly to second hand smoke, and usually develop eye problems as well as coughing and wheezing.

Please, if you must smoke DO NOT smoke in front of your beloved furry friends, and certainly do not allow others to do it.  If you're having a party, designate an area for smoking and keep your pets in a well ventilated room away from it.  Keep your ashtrays clean and dispose of all butts and nicotine replacement products correctly.

Even better, consider quitting, if not for yourself then your family and the innocent best friend sleeping by your feet.