Secondhand Smoke Can Harm Your Dogs!

CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) – A silent killer could be harming cherished pets. It’s secondhand smoke and it has been linked to several deadly health problems in animals, according to a growing body of research. Nearly 30 percent of pets live with a smoker, according to the ASPCA .

Toxins in secondhand smoke can cause lung and nasal cancer in dogs and malignant lymphoma in cats, studies have concluded reported USA Today .

American Lung Association of New Hampshire states that birds that sit on a smoker’s hand could contact dermatitis from the nicotine that remains on the smoker’s hand. They could also pull out their feathers.

Nicotine is highly toxic to animals if ingested. A dog that accidentally eats tobacco could become weak, have trouble breathing – or die.

Veterinarians at Animal Hospital in McLean, Va., said a lethal dose of nicotine in dogs can be about 20 to 100 mg . Cigarettes tally 10 to 30 mg of the chemical, and cigars that you buy can contain 15 to 40 mg.

Other breathing problems such as asthma could develop. Common symptoms of an allergic reaction to secondhand smoke include scratching, biting and chewing skin, which could easily be mistaken for fleas, according to the American Lung Association of New Hampshire .

“Nicotine from secondhand smoke can have effects to the nervous systems of cats and dogs,” Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant of the ASPCA.

The American Lung Association of New Hampshire listed other smoking-related dangers :

Two cigarette butts, if eaten by a puppy, can cause death in a relatively short period of time.
Cats exposed to secondhand smoke in the home have a higher rate of an oral cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
Birds may develop eye and respiratory problems.
Animal lovers who won’t quit for themselves can do it for their pet.

Mary Ellen Ratuszny smoked for more than 30 years. But after learning secondhand would complicate her dog’s heartworm treatment the choice was clear.

“I did not want to do anything that was going to jeopardize the health and recovery of this dog. It was a very immediate, very concrete motivator,” the Michigan woman told The Grand Rapids Press .