Smoking: Are you hurting the ones you love most?

It’s no secret that secondhand smoke can have harmful effects. However, you probably overlooked the fact that smoking around your pets is just as dangerous as lighting up around your children. For whatever reason, we often overlook simply health matters when it comes to our beloved companions. Besides, aren’t pets supposed to adapt to the owners’ lifestyles? As an owner, you have a responsibility to maintain the health and well-being of your pet. So for your dog or cat’s sake, you should come up with ways to keep the secondhand smoke out of your pet’s life.

This article is not intended to preach at the smokers or to overload them with reasons to quit. Instead, it is intended to show what effects secondhand smoke can have on your family members, including the animals inside your home. It also provides a couple of suggestions for smokers with pets, such as alternatives areas in the home to have a cigarette. So, don’t take this as a sermon or an educational seminar; take it with a grain of salt!

The dangers of secondhand smoke are not recent news. Studies conducted in the 1990s showed how the health of household animals was negatively affected by owners who smoked. If you have ever known or been around a bird owner, then you have probably realized how sensitive birds are to any toxins in their environment. It is commonly known that birds are quite often used to “test” the quality of the air in a certain area. This test typically leads to a late warning resulting in a deceased bird and very ill human. But who really keeps in the front of their long list things that family members and pets are twice as likely to develop cancer living in a smokers household!

Dogs exposed to secondhand smoke showed a high rate of nasal and lung cancer. Dogs with long noses were more likely to develop nasal cancer, while dogs with shorter snouts were more likely to develop lung cancer. As the cancer-causing carcinogens are inhaled by a long-nosed dog, they spend more time going through the filtration system of the nose; thus, there is more damage done to this region. Dogs with shorter noses (i.e. less surface area) experience carcinogen buildup in the lungs rather than the nose, because the carcinogens have less space to remain in the nose.

Cats that live with smokers are more likely to develop mouth cancer and lymphoma. The researchers pointed to cats’ grooming habits to explain oral cancer. As a cat comes in contact with secondhand smoke, the cancer-causing carcinogens attach to the cat’s fur. When the cat licks her fur during a grooming ritual, the carcinogens enter her mouth, eventually leading to mouth cancer. Cats that live in smoking households are twice as likely to develop lymphoma as cats that live in non-smoking homes.

The Alternatives

So, now that you have a basic understanding on how secondhand smoke affects pets in the home, it’s time to come up with ways to protect those we love. The first alternative is probably the most obvious but not necessarily the most feasible in the beginning: take the cigarette outside. Remember, outside the home can include a carport, garage, or porch. Keeping the smoke out of the home is a benefit for all (both animals and humans) who lives there. You should also be extremely cognoscente of your articles of clothing that can easily result in damaging health issues when one comes in direct contact with them. So, take the clothes and put them strait into the wash machine. This is a simple solution that will keep those around you safe.

Now, if going outside in freezing temperatures does not sound probable, then look for other ways around the dilemma. For instance, consider smoking in only one room of your home. Make sure the room has good air flow. If possible keep the door closed, open a window, turn on a fan, or consider using an air filtration system. Let the fan or filtration system continue running for a few minutes after you stop smoking. Do not allow your pets, family or children in the room at anytime, whether you are smoking or not. No, smoking in a designated area of your home won’t keep your animals completely away from the smoke, but it will greatly reduce their exposure.

The dangers of secondhand smoke have been known for years. Children and family members are always considered but its all too often that pets not considered when it comes to this controversial topic. The fact is secondhand smoke is damaging to others health. If you smoke, work to find ways to limit your pets’ exposure to the smoke. As a responsible and caring owner, it is up to you to look out for the health and wellbeing of your pets. I share this from experiences with training and seeing the worst of situations. Smokers are not bad people, most of the time they can be nicer than people that don’t smoke. If you have any other experiences or thoughts on how to limit exposure please leave a comment and I will be sure to include them in a follow up article.

This article was provided by Collin Walker. Visit his website to find pet supplies for your four legged friends including dog houses and dog carriers.