Even though it makes sense, many people fail to realise that the same bad habits that affect the health of humans can also affect pets. People are more conscious than they used to be about the diet and exercise levels of their pets, but it is largely overlooked that one of the main health risks pet owners expose their animals to is second hand smoke.
Although lung cancer is not that common in cats and dogs, breathing in smoke can cause them to develop allergies or respiratory diseases. Animals are also some of the most susceptible to what is now being termed ‘third-hand smoke’ – the invisible yet toxic mixture of gases and particles that will cling to hair, clothing and carpets and hangs around long after the second-hand smoke has disappeared. When dogs rolls around on the carpet or you allow your cat to sit on your lap, their fur will get coated in toxic particles, and then, even worse, their meticulous grooming habits mean that they will then lick off and ingest these toxins. It is these very toxins in the homes of smokers that are to blame for the cases of mouth and nasal cancer that have been detected in cats and dogs respectively.
Ideally, it is best not to smoke around animals, but at least make it a priority to regularly brush down their coat to remove any invisible toxic particles. If concern for your pet encourages you to give up smoking, that is great, but quitting is obviously no easy thing, so in the meantime taking steps to keep second and third hand smoke away from your animal will really help.
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